Life Is Too Short To Wear Uncomfortable Shoes!

Isn’t life too short to put up with uncomfortable shoes?!?

It is odd to me how we will often stick with something that we don’t like and that sometimes even causes us pain and suffering!

For whatever reason, we will choose to ignore our power to make a change. 

Some people do this with jobs.  I stick with uncomfortable shoes.

The story of how I came to own my uncomfortable shoes

I bought them about a year ago.  They looked friendly enough. 

My uncomfortable shoes are a pair of black wingtips that I wear to work.  I won’t mention the brand name to protect the innocent, but I will say they weren’t cheap.

I’ve made my share of mistakes buying shoes over the years so you’d think I’d learn.

I had very good intentions when I bought these, but I ignored one critical factor.  Comfort!

How could I be so stupid, stupid, stupid!  There is nothing worse than uncomfortable shoes.

My intention was to buy a pair that the heels could be easily replaced on.  I tend to wear down the back, outer edge of the heel.  Once this happens, then the shoes are, well… uncomfortable.

It was a grand plan that was going to save me a lot of money over the next several years.  I wouldn’t have to buy whole brand new pairs of shoes.  I would simply take them to the shoe repair shop for new heels.  Voilà!

I never checked to see how much new heels would cost, but that’s really beside the point anyway.  I haven’t worn the shoes long enough so that they need new heels.

I’ve had the evil ones about a year.  I decided this past weekend that I had suffered enough.

I finally decided life is too short for my uncomfortable shoes

The thing is I finally realized that my uncomfortable shoes were affecting my attitude.

Isn’t it crazy how something so simple can have such a significant impact on the way we view life?

By midday, my shoes made my feet and legs ache at work.  I only wore these shoes to work because they were dress shoes made to be worn with slacks.

Now, I’m one of those weird people that really likes his job, but recently I had noticed what I’ll call a reluctance to get up in the mornings and get to work.

Even though I couldn’t identify any particular reason, I just kind of dreaded going.

This reluctance hung out in the back of my mind and nagged me. 

Finally, I began examining the situation.  I started thinking, “What is it that is bothering me at work?”  I have a great job in the profession of my choosing.  I work with great people.  The hours are good.  What is it?

I gradually realized that it was the shoes!  I bet you didn’t see that coming.  I didn’t.  It took me quite awhile to actually figure it out.

Once I knew the issue, I immediately decided to do something about it.  I went out this past weekend and bought two new pair of comfortable shoes to wear to work.

Happy to be free of the shoes that were hurting more than my feet

I had a friend when I was in the Air Force that told me, “When I get a pebble in my shoe, I like to leave it in there for awhile.”

“Why?”, I asked sort of incredulously.

“Because then it is such a relief and feels so good when I take it out.”

I’m not sure if this principle is what is acting in my situation now or not, but I love my new shoes!

As a result, my attitude toward going to work has completely changed, instantly!

It is amazing how something so simple can have a profound impact on my attitude and also go relatively unnoticed for so long.

Lessons I learned from my uncomfortable shoes

I might be making more of this than it deserves, but who knows?

Here are a few lessons that I have learned or that have at least been reinforced for me by this experience:

1.  Sometimes little things can make a big difference

The tiniest of pebbles in your shoe can cause significant pain.  Is it possible that in other life situations we should examine the small things more closely before making big decisions?  Could making small corrections at the point of pain save us from quitting our jobs, getting a divorce or selling our homes when we shouldn’t?  I think it is certainly worth taking a hard look at.

2.  Having cash on hand can solve a lot of problems in a crisis

I’m usually a fairly thrifty guy.  My wife might argue with that, but I usually have some cash tucked back somewhere.  In this case, I had fun money that had been piling up for several months.  I just hadn’t found anything I wanted to buy.  Since we don’t use credit cards anymore, having that cash on hand gave me the freedom to solve my problem immediately.

3.  Fix issues before they fester into bigger dilemmas

I kind of knew something was wrong for awhile, but I didn’t really take the time to think it over.  I’m often left bewildered by people that hate their lives, but won’t do anything about it.  I think these people often let small problems swell up in their minds until they become overwhelmed and frozen.  Taking action even if you aren’t 100% sure it is going to fix the problem is the better route to follow.  Didn’t work?  Rinse and repeat as often as necessary!

4.  We usually have the power to make the changes necessary

Being happier really is a choice!  We have the power to improve our lives if we will simply do something.  Somehow life often seems to rob us of our knowledge that we have the power.  We become lulled into thinking we have to put up with painful and demoralizing situations, but we do not!  Don’t go berserk, but look for ways to make incremental improvements that will add up to a big difference.

Again, life is too short to wear uncomfortable shoes!

Is something bothering you?  Are you unhappy?  I encourage you to examine the situation closely.  Talk it over with a friend or confidant.  Write out your feelings on paper.  Heck, I often talk these things out by myself in the car.  Do whatever works!

Usually getting your feelings, thoughts and concerns out in the open will unpack and simplify what seems like an unsolvable issue and save things from getting worse.

It might be that a few simple adjustments can instantly make your life better and save you from the pain you feel right now.

Remember, life is too short to wear uncomfortable shoes!

What is bothering you and what are you going to do about it?

Photo by Akuppa

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