The Secret

My sister Raquel likes to talk about the book "The Secret" and how if you truly believe something will happen it will. That may be true to many aspects of life but not when it comes to shopping. After this experience I may write my own book entitled "The secret to shopping"
I've been on a quest for some brown boots for the last two seasons. Not an easy task for me who has a whopping size 11 thanks to genetics and my feet growing during my pregnancies, there really 10 1/2 but that size does not exist so 11 it is. The boots also have to be flat and comfortable. So the quest began. Since most stores seldom carry over a size 10 I'm limited to Nordstrom and online. Since I have to try on the boots to confirm their comfort level that limits me to Nordstrom. I truly believed I'd be able to find these boots since flat is in right now but every time I stepped into that store with my high hopes they were soon deflated. I'd find the perfect boot but then it came in suede, another color or they'd have them but not in my size. At the beginning of fall I did find the perfect boots but the price tag 350 bucks. Ouch!!! After more searching only to find some great boots in Emily's size, I debated and decided I would wait and buy those expensive boots when they went on sale. They did finally go on a great sale but by then my size was gone. After a good cry, I conclude I'd have to wait until next season and my life went on.
Fast forward a month or so. I have a conversation with Bart about how close we are to accomplishing a financial goal. I'm really anxious to speed up the process so I commit both of us to a spending fast. Since Bart only spends money on fast food dollar items for lunch, he agreed to this fast if I would make him a lunch to take to work everyday. I commit myself to make his lunch and only buy the necessities of life. Almost immediately I run out of a skin care item. Since skin care is a necessity, something I learned from my mom, I take a couple of Nordstrom notes* I've saved *(in store credit I get for using a Nordstrom Visa Card) and head to Nordstrom with a one track mind to only buy the cleanser and no money would be spent. Of course as soon as I walk in the door I turn my head to the shoe department and guess what's the first thing I see. These brown flat boots. As if they are magnetized I find myself picking them up and asking the salesman if they have them in my size. As he walks away I remember my commitment to my fast but relax because just in times of past they won't have my size right? Then the salesman comes back carrying a box. What they have my size? Surely there will be something wrong with them I think but as my foot slides and I stand I realize I'm in trouble. OK I think but what's the price. I turn the boot over on and they are on clearance. I can't fight it anymore the search for the boots have ended. I give the salesman my Nordstrom Notes plus $25.00 and decide my skin can wait and I leave with the boots.
From this experience I conclude that unlike "The secret" to life the Secret to shopping is to walk into a store against buying anything and sure enough what you haven't been able to find in the past will be right in front of your eyes.