It’s not the first time Zuck’s little project has changed my life or the life of someone I love for the better. The first time is admittedly better, yet this one is worth a mention. It started innocently enough.

As one does, I was sitting in my kitchen in my South Dakota apartment scrolling through my Instagram feed. I had retired and was living as the artist I always wanted to be. You can see blog posts on this site that track that journey.

Now, Instagram probably didn’t know that my life had changed so dramatically– that I no longer was the target for the ads they kept serving me. My income had contracted to a fraction of what I used to earn. I was no longer that devil-may-care shopper who would buy something “spendy” on impulse.

Taos, one of my favorite brands, kept serving me these boots that I had longingly muddled over a few times.

The sad reality that hit me in that moment in my kitchen was, well, all of the above. That I was no longer the person I used to be. I simply could not justify buying these boots at my income level.

It started to sink in.

I would live the rest of my life like this. I would be limited to browsing thrift stores for great finds, maybe handmedowns from my family.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with living that way, and I wasn’t exactly unhappy, but I realized in that moment: this was not me.

I actually had worked really hard in my life, and I deserved to reaquaint myself with the person I knew I was at heart.

Life’s circumstances prevented me from saving for retirement, and let’s just say a lot of eggs I had in baskets never hatched. But I knew I wasn’t completely irrelevant in the market. I started scouting around for opportunities on LinkedIn. I found one, or kind of created one, within a couple weeks.

Ultimately, that position did not work out, but the company relocated me to Austin, TX where I live today. And I was fortunate to find something else that I absolutely love. These days, I’m still careful about what I spend, but I’m in a better place economically. After the New Year, I’m meeting with a financial planner and will start a disciplined approach to contemplating retirement again.

There’s a lot more to this than an expensive pair of boots, Instagram getting it wrong (and ultimately getting it right), and me rethinking my identity.

It’s a lesson in not settling. So many times people feel they’re trapped in impossible situations with no way out. So important to know who you are. Bring your full self to every obstacle. Stay confident, regardless of the hopelessness of the situation.

I bought the damn boots a few months ago. I absolutely love them.

And the lesson they represent.

Merry Christmas to me.