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Once upon a time I fell in love with a painting. It hung in a local interior designer’s shop. Every time I went in the store I would lust after it. Then I checked their website and saw the price. Gulp. Nevermind, I thought, I don’t like it that much (which was a total lie).

Then that same store had a sale. A good one. So I went and picked up a beautiful little vase, which looked handmade, but was still very affordable. YES! I was super pumped. I walked out of the store imagining how perfect it would look as part of a dining room centerpiece. Then I got to the parking lot and it hit me. The painting. It was still there...just waiting.

One of my best girlfriends was with me. I told her that I was thinking about going back into the store to the buy the painting. She waited patiently as used the calculator on my phone to figure out how much the painting would be with a 20% discount, cause aint nobody got time to do that kinda math in their head. Okay, maybe you do, but I am not a math person…just ask my brother who was forced into helping me with my 5th grade math homework (insert laugh-cry emoji). Anyway…even with 20% off the painting was still quite pricey. My friend took one look at the number on my phone, shook her head and said, “Not me!” (haha). Then she had to get going cause she’s a super mama and had kiddies to attend to.

At that point I was left by myself to contemplate this purchase. My ‘go to’ response, in terms of big purchases, had always been the same: fear. You know…the thought that sounds like: “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” Just then I noticed something else on the website…the title of the painting. It was called “Bright Viewpoint.” Huh, that’s really interesting I thought.

Right at that moment, I decided to flip the script and I asked myself a question: what does this situation look like without the fear, from a bright viewpoint? Then I wondered why I had been clinging to this fear based story….for my whole life. Was it making me feel better? NO. Was it making me more financially secure? Not really. I decided, right then and there, that I wanted to believe something different. You can do this, I told myself…you can figure it out. Just take 5 less trips to Target this month (does anyone else spend way too much money in that joint?)! With a little will power, I knew I could pay off the bill by the end of the month.

So I walked back into the store and bought it. Just like that.

This was such a poignant moment in my life, which is why I can recall all the details of this story very clearly. I can even remember the rest of the conversation that I had with my friend in the parking lot. We were talking about her son’s friend and the incredibly thoughtful thank you note he wrote, my sunglasses, and whether or not my braces were making my teeth straighter. You know, the usual random BFF banter. Let me tell you, this amount of recollection is highly unusual for me. Typically I can’t even remember what I ate for breakfast that morning, I swear I have the memory of an 80 year old!

On the drive home I felt really excited. No buyers remorse (like I had always experienced in the past), just joy…thinking about the fact that I finally owned my beloved painting. I knew exactly where I wanted to hang it and went to work immediately hammering nails into my wall. That’s where it’s been living for the last year or so. Everyday it reminds me to choose joy. To look on the bright side. To know that I can do the hard things, the things that are outside of my comfort zone. Purchasing that painting created a domino effect for me. After buying it, I ‘officially’ launched my business. I soon realized that I wanted to invest in other things that matter me, like courses, books, and all the tools that I use to grow and sustain my business. As a result, I can truly say that I’m happier now than I’ve been in quite a long time.

I’m writing all of this to say that sometimes stepping outside of your comfort zone brings you a brighter viewpoint. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is different for everyone. It can mean letting go of things like: old beliefs about what you may or may not be capable of, nagging thoughts about lack of money, or the fear of trying something new. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect. I still have some of my old money beliefs, but I’m slowly learning to let them go. I don’t go on wild spending sprees (except when I need to buy Christmas presents for my nieces and nephews), but I have learned to detach from the fear a bit. I have made it a priority to invest in myself and things that are important to me, and to trust that the investment will be worth it. Perhaps the best gift that this painting has given me is the awareness that I can choose my thoughts. I don’t have to be so worried about things, instead I can have faith that I am on the right path and that things will work out for the best.

So dear friends, if you see even a little bit of yourself in this story I hope that it has brought you some encouragement. Whatever that thing is for you…the thing that is worrying you, holding you back from pursuing your dreams, or making you doubt yourself…know that you have the power to change your thoughts about it. You can choose hope, or courage, or confidence instead. There’s a brighter viewpoint out there for every single one of you, trust me, I’ve seen it.