Shopping IS a Strength

Shopping a weakness? I’ve been led to believe this my whole life. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about strengths and weaknesses. We, as a society, focus so much on our weaknesses and how we can fix them. We leave our strengths as they are and keep trying to fix what is weak. I remember ever since I could walk, I sucked at math. Yes, I’m the only Asian who sucks at math. When I say I suck, I mean I have trouble with my times table after 5. So as a kid I was forced to attend Kumon (this math class where you are forced to do tons and tons of equations until you get them right…basically memorizing numbers and formulas). I even believed that I should take all these extra math courses to fix the problem. I may have memorized these equations, as long as I was doing pages and pages of this stuff; but, I’m sitting here now and I can promise you I can’t do them now. I have trouble balancing my checkbook and every month when it’s bill time, it takes me a few hours to make the numbers all add up right.

So really, what was the point in focusing all this energy on trying to fix something that I’m just not inclined to be good at? It’s just not in my make-up as a person. On the other hand, I am a really good shopper. Now this may seem like a small thing or even a negative thing and it can be a weakness at times; but if I use my powers for good, it’s a handy strength. My older brother needed a 70’s disco costume for a party two weeks ago. He had my mom and I both out looking. Well the week he needed it, I was super busy with work and driving all over town. It just so happened that I was in Burbank and had about 40min before my next appointment so I stopped in at a store called Play Clothes. I’d been in there before and remembered that they had lots of really cool vintage stuff for a reasonable price.  I asked the lady up front where their 70’s men’s wear was, she lead me straight back and I started the hunt.

After looking up my brother’s sizes, I found one pair of pants that would fit, they were these canary yellow, crushed velvet, cuffed, bell-bottoms. Perfect! 

Next, the shirt. This was a little more challenging, I had to use a tape measure to find the right size and I found 3 options, I went with the burgundy, floral, polyester button up. Then I asked for necklaces in the back. If you’re nice and ask nicely they will always pull things out from the back for you at any store. I find that there is always a way to get something, it’s in how you ask and approach the sales people. The lady found me a gold astrology necklace that was perfect for the 70’s themed outfit. Done in 30 minutes at $80. I was impressed with myself. I was also super proud that my brother was not going to have to wear some cheesy, gross, generic, cheap costume from one of the mass produced Halloween stores or Party City.

So while shopping is only one of my many strengths and may seem miniscule, it does come in handy. I make a great personal assistant and you can bet my house is always stocked up with necessities. I have this running inventory in my mind at any given moment and when I’m out shopping I know what I need. I’m also the person you’d go for if you ever need to find something or update your wardrobe.

So this week, I encourage you to look at some of your strengths and try to develop them. Admit that your weaknesses are your weaknesses and surround yourself with people who are going to help you with the things your not so good at. A friend of mine had me do the StrenghtsFinder 2.0. It’s an online book you can read in about an hour and take an on-line assessment to find your top 5 strengths and develop them. I thought it was interesting and that’s why I’m sharing it with you today. I do agree that we as a society focus too much on trying to fix weaknesses. Why not improve on what we are good at and make it work for us? I bet we’d all be a lot happier. 

if I had time there would be a brown belt and white platform shoes.