Enjoyable last-minute Christmas shopping?!

I had the best experience Christmas shopping this weekend.

I did nearly everything I wanted to do all in one day, working off a plan that my husband and I had created together. The feeling of accomplishment was so satisfying.

What really delighted me, though, was feeling that something fundamental had shifted in me related to shopping.

It used to be that I would go through stores feeling conflicted and judgmental: sickened by the consumerism, resentful of the prices, upset by misleading marketing, and yet pressured to play the game nonetheless. (My dissatisfaction didn't do anything to solve any of the problems I saw, of course, but it made shopping tiring and unpleasant.)

This weekend, though, my experience was totally different. I knew what I wanted and why I wanted it, said "yes" to the things matched what I was looking for, and simply ignored everything else. It was like magic! I found what I needed, wasn't bothered by unwanted products, and found ways to bring joy to other people who were stressed out. It was a kind of shopping "flow" that I'd never experienced before.

I don't know if I am "cured," once and for all, of my bad attitude regarding shopping -- this could have just been a lucky day when all of the stars aligned for me -- but my shopping excursion was instructive nonetheless. It opened up the possibility that I might not need to be a victim of this thing called "holiday shopping," but rather could be the designer of my own experience. Something I want to feel in all areas of my life!

What about you? Have you experienced something similar, where a long-standing perspective shifted and you no longer saw a situation the same way that you used to? Where you realized you had way more power than you thought you did? Tell me about it below!