Yours for only $26.95!

More to add on Sunflower's and Aqua's blogs. I think all three of us have pretty much come to a consensus that that old cliche "beauty comes from within" actually works. It's not just about the packaging, you have to have confidence on what you've got on the outside as well. It may be corny, but after being in retail for over five years now, I really believe that if you really believe in a product/service, then you can sell it a lot better. And not like we are pimping ourselves, but we constantly have to sell ourselves on other people. Whether it's going for a new job, meeting a new friend/boyfriend/girlfriend's parents, a first date, or trying to get that person across the room to come over and talk to you, you have to convince them that what they need/want is you. You have to sell them on what your best features are, what they potentially gain by taking you on, why they should choose you above all others. If you have misgivings about the product (in this case, yourself) and you let that leak into your presentation, others will sense that and they will not be convinced that you are right for them. You've just lost the sale.

On the other hand, you have the "used car dealers" of the world who will totally scam you. They tell you exactly what you want to hear, misrepresent themselves, and you end up being the chump. I've seen this used lots in dating relationships, usually more so with the guys misleading the girls than the other way around, but I won't deny that that does happen. And it can be really hard to know if what you are "buying" into is for real. And what sucks in real life is you can't get a warranty with that purchase when it comes to relationships. Why I find that girls end up being the suckers more often? I don't know. Maybe it's just our shopping nature and we love to just buy everything in sight, regardless of the price. Or maybe it's a really good "deal" even though we know full well that we don't need it.

Perhaps I'm being ridiculous, but I find that this analogy does apply in certain ways. I think my brother is a wonderful shopper, especially considering that he's a guy. It turns out he's also a really critical shopper when it comes to girls. There are a lot of girls in his group that he will always be friends with, but he won't touch them relationship wise 'cuz he's seen how they are in relationships and he doesn't "want to get with that." You know, it chokes me with pride that this little brother of mine can be so wise. And then there's me, I'm prone to "bad buying decisions." If I see something I want then I get all obsessed with it and want it right away, even if it's already been bought by someone else or just plain not for sale. I don't do a lot of research into why this particular one would be a "good buy" or if another would be a nice choice 'cuz of a good fit. Ah, shopping for guys, if dating were that easy, I'd have a closetful of men by now. *l* Most of them would probably end up just collecting dust in that closet, too, 'cuz they were an impulse buy.