Rules

Rules

One of the many struggles I have had in my life while dealing with Bi-polar is the obsessive thinking and impulse purchasing. 

One of the ways this has reared its ugly head in my life has been cars.  I have bought too many cars in my life and most of those… ok, all of these purchases were not planed, and I either rushed headlong on a crazy scheme, or just showed up at home with a new car.   

It fills me with great pride that even after three years, and now 60,000 miles I have put more time and miles in this vehicle.  I still walk up to my jeep and think it is sexy.  I love the thing, and just look forward to driving it.  I still do not want any other car. 

But this purchasing has been more than just cars.  I have bought odd things from infomercials, or random food Item.  I can honestly say now, I have not made an impulse buy in years.  This is not a victory, as I have the impulses all the time.  I have just found ways to coup, and ways to deal.    

I have done this by setting parameters and rules for every purchase.  It seems that almost everything I do these days has a set of rules that goes along with it.  For purchase, I have to have planned it.  This is just rule number one.  I will not let myself purchase something at the store that I did not go to the store to get.  If it is $50, I must wait at least a day, longer for more expensive.  It is not stopping it, but it makes it much more focused and manageable.  Rigid following of rules, the secret life of Me.  People think I am just carefree, or unpredictable.  If they only knew how my mind worked. 

The thing I have been learning, a strong mind can go a long ways in dealing with some pretty bad issues.