Speaking of shoes, I think back to these sexy little red shoes I got in my early twenties.

I remember my delight when I saw them perfectly perched on the shelf in a thrift store, just smiling and waiting for me to come and claim them.

You know that moment when you’re holding something new in your hands, turning it over, already picturing your life with it?

I wore them almost everywhere for the next couple of years. Proudly. They seemed to match everything I could think to wear.

They accompanied me on dates, to job interviews, to nights on the town. They made me feel strong and confident, the perfect tip-tapping against the pavement with every step, the bright flash of red adding personality to every outfit.

It’s almost as if we became best of friends, me and this pair of reds.

But eventually, what once brought me such delight started to bring me pain.

And even as they began to scuff and fade…

Even as the soles wore down and they started to fall apart…

Even as they poked and prodded at the back of my foot, giving me blisters and cuts…

I clung to them tightly because they felt like me.

Or perhaps, even more accurately, they felt like part of my identity.

I had other shoes in my closet, but these shoes knew the shape of my feet. They understood me. We’d walked countless miles together, after all.

And for a while, I wore them anyway, even if it meant limping by the end of the day.

“Comfort” can be convincing like that.

And “what used to fit perfectly” can sometimes keep you from “the right fit” for today.

So, what’s your version of red shoes?

Maybe it’s an old habit you’d like to let go of, an ex you still blame for heartbreak, or that choice to stay comfortable instead of going after what you really want.

The thing is, you can’t walk into the next chapter of your life if you’re still wearing the shoes that were made for the last one.

If you hold on too long, you’ll keep limping along, telling yourself that you can make them work, when the truth is that the shoes just don’t fit anymore.

And while you’re clinging to the old, you’ll miss the new…

The ones that could carry you further (and much more comfortably) into your next chapter.

Speaking of which, I think it’s time to pick out another perfect pair of red shoes to bring along with me for the person I am today.

(UPDATE: I made it back into the gym, because those are the new shoes I want to wear.)


Much love,
Jessi​