Cutting Cable Saved Me Money And Made Me Feel Free
The plots are generally the same, the actors are revolving and it was very seldom that any one movie pulled me in for full investment.
By JEANNIE SHAW
It Was Doing Nothing For Me
It was like one of those bad relationships you just get comfortable in and before you know it, years have gone by and nothing has changed. You see that it’s going nowhere, there’s no true benefit and you’re just there for one thing or the other. Maybe it’s money, sex, or just to be able to say you’re in a relationship. In this case, my reason for staying was LMN (Lifetime Movie Network) and it was doing NOTHING for me. Cutting cable saved me money and made me feel free.
I wasn’t even watching the movies if I’m truly honest with myself. Having cable just for that channel was like some sort of security blanket – a tie to a network I just had running in the background for the most part. The plots are generally the same, the actors are revolving and it was very seldom that any one movie pulled me in for a full investment.
When I tried to cancel three years ago and two years ago, 6 months ago and even up to the week before, the customer service rep always seemed to find a way to lure me back in. It was pure bondage I tell ya.
We Can Work It Out
It was that “We can work it out” vibe and I fell for it every single time. It never worked in my real life relationships for very long but some how Spectrum and ATT kept me invested year after year. Long after I knew it was already over.
There were no true benefits. The one channel I watched just ran in the background like one tiny instrument in the grand orchestra. Yet, I convinced myself it was needed. Just in case… what if… It all made no sense.
Then each month as the bill found me, I questioned my commitment to it. Why am I even here!!!
It’s not making me feel alive. I don’t feel sweetly nourished.
I was ready. It was time… I made that final call.
I’m Calling To Cancel Cable
I mentally prepared myself – there is NO turning back. I’d just tried the week before and hung up because of too many distractions around me. This time it was final. This is it! I did a whole mental dance. We gonna do this TODAY! What’s my stance? “I’m calling to cancel cable!” Punto. Final.
At first, I got disconnected and wondered… “Is this a sign?” lol Talk about being commitment to a relationship that’s going nowhere. SMH.
Nevertheless, I stuck to my guns. When I called back, I got the sweetest and nicest customer care rep anyone could possibly wish for.
She likely followed a script of trying to keep me as a customer but finally she honored my wishes. I could tell she was just doing her job. But underneath all of that, she understood me. She knew what I was explaining and she said, “OK, looks like we can get your bill down to half of what it was”. I was ecstatic. She continued. “And guess what? I bet I can make your whole year right now! I found a promo that can cut your bill into half again so you’ll now be paying roughly $35US a month for Internet.”, she exclaimed.
What Kind Of Angel Is This?
“What! Are you serious? God Bless You!”, I was elated. What kind of angel is this?
It was not just that I was finally listening to what I knew to be right. It was sticking to my guns and knowing that I didn’t need cable and in all the years I was paying for that land line, I never needed it. Not. Even. One. Single. Time.
The affair finally ended. It was damn near toxic lol
There was no more juice. No more convincing me to stay or make things work or to see the value in things I didn’t even use.
I paid my final bill and returned the devices back to ATT. Then, I awaited my Firestick from Amazon.
The Adjustment Was Easy
At first I thought I’d miss LMN but as it turned out, I didn’t. So many movies are free on YouTube and I pay for my monthly YouTube without ads. In fact, I watch YouTube more than anything else. I drown myself in videos about Abraham Hicks, all kinds of music, Hillsong worship, Florence Shinn, the “how-to” videos for just about everything, relationship insight and the list goes on and on. And then I found that in fact many LMN movies are already on YouTube FOR FREE.
Cancelling cable wasn’t just about decreasing my pay outs each month. It was about decluttering – leaving things behind that didn’t provide true value to my life’s experience. If in the future, cable proves itself useful to myself or family then I can revisit it. For now, I know it doesn’t.
We Free Ourselves
It further lets me look at my life and reevaluate all the things I hold on to that hold no true space for me. They are just lingering in my life – like the cable was.
What things in your life are you holding on to that do nothing for you? Are you willing to step back and truly look at the space they hold and let them go if you can admit that they do nothing for you?
When we release ties to people, places, things and events that do not serve us, we free ourselves. It also makes space for new.
“It further lets me look at my life and reevaluate all the things I hold on to that hold no true space for me. They are just lingering in my life – like the cable was.”
It Aligns and I Know It Was A Good Decision
Today I feel like a mermaid, fairy, unicorn princess when it comes to my television experience. I already pay for Amazon Prime and full access to YouTube and I enjoy my family’s Netflix plan. When I paid my last internet bill, it felt right. It aligns and I know it was a good decision.
Removing cable and that ghost like land line that only existed in the ethers was a great practice in assessing the things that don’t serve me. The thing is we have to honor the things that do serve us yes. However, we honor ourselves when we remove the things that don’t serve us.
Here’s hoping you honor yourself always. Nourish Yourself Sweetly with all the things that light you up. May you always feel like a mermaid, fairy, unicorn princess.
