A few weeks ago, I splurged and paid a exorbitant amount of money for two pairs of shoes, one brown and one black. I needed the black shoes, but I *had* to have the brown. They were gorgeous, they fit, and they were only $40!

So I wore them once before a conference to show them off. I looked dapper with slacks and a button down shirt. It wasn’t even a special occasion, but as many of you know, I love dressing up for the hell of it— I live by the adage, “If you look good, you feel good!”

After the day was over, my dogs were barking! I was filled with buyer’s remorse and grieving that my purchase was somehow impulsive. But the shoes, they looked so wonderful! It was as if with each step I was crushing valuable dollar signs. I packed them in my suitcase for the conference, along with my new black pair (that proved to be comfortable on the first try). However, I was so anxious to wear them at the conference with much walking that I didn’t put them on during the entire event.

As any college student can attest, I loathe doing laundry. Luckily in my complex, there are multiple washing machines and multiple dryers— during off peak times, I can easily wash up to five loads of laundry at once (which is about a third of my wardrobe…*gulp*). But I hadn’t washed any clothes in a period of time. It came to the point where I had one pair of pants and the only thing that would go with those pants was my painful brown shoes. With a leap of faith—because I had no choice—I laced them up and went on my way.

Halfway through my day, the pain subsided, and the shoes became quite comfortable. I waited and waited, time and time again, for the shoes to revert to their orthopedic attack— but the comfort prevailed. I took a huge sigh of relief and praised myself for my brave purchase. That $40 did not go to waste after all!

I wear these shoes all the time now and get great compliments on them (though I prefer compliments on the bargain, rather than the fashion). My point here is this: perseverance, and even a bit of apprehension, is worth the faith and courage it takes to overcome any obstacle. On a small scale, I was put between a rock and a hard place— the soles of my shoes and the ground. It was in the moment at the end of that day when the shoes stopped hurting that I thought, “Hm. I’m glad I took that chance.” Aren’t these shoes gorgeous?