Reality Check // Week 9

Kimberly Schoenauer
Mar 4, 2016
2 min read

Reality check is my weekly confessional. The good, bad, and ugly will go here so that I can just... be. Be real. Be authentic.

Filed neatly away under "Stuff that I love" is free stuff.

Yes, I do like occasionally getting a free jar of peanut butter from Whole Foods because I signed up for their app to get coupons. True story.

And, once in a blue moon, Starbucks will notify me that my Gold Status has earned me a free latte. Those tend to always taste better than the ones I pay for.

But, that's not really what I mean by loving free stuff. The tangible things that we receive in life for "free" we don't really get for free do we? I am going to pay for that jar a peanut butter in emails and notifications and advertisements from Whole Foods. Many advertisements that will be appealing to me because they know I'm a peanut butter lover, and that will cause me to spend more money than I typically would at Whole Foods. I have already paid for that free Starbucks latte in the overly priced previous 12 lattes that I've purchased. It's built in- they have a business to profit from, right?

No, what I really mean by free stuff is the intangible stuff. Specifically free knowledge, ideas, and learning opportunities. Oh geez, here she goes again...

I recently committed to more reading time. That is a general category of time that I want to set aside to experience new ideas. Most of the time, I will read. Sometimes I will read books. Sometimes I will read articles. Sometimes I will read blogs. There is so much free information available everywhere around us with the advent of the internet, and this cultural norm of sharing everything all the time. Sometimes I will listen. Sometimes I will watch.

Right now, I am reading Dearing Greatly, by Brene Brown. Get ready for lots of BB quotes via instagram, guys :) I'll let you know what I think as I go!

Right now, I am watching and listening to The Women's Strength Summit, a free 9-day educational series that hosts different health and wellness professionals from around the world to discuss a variety of topics from nutrition to fitness to mindset, all specific to women. It started on March 1st, so you're not that far behind if you want to tune in. Free information. Free inspiration. All that stuff I love to collect.