The Target Store post has become popular beyond my wildest dreams, so I wanted to tell you why I did it. I felt I needed to tell you what I learned about myself – I feel good at Target Stores and rotten at Wal-Mart. I didn’t intend for it to be a scientific study. I took it as a personal opportunity to share my inner world with you.

I understand the economic reason Wal-Mart exists and flourishes, I believe in the free market, so my reason kept telling me my feelings about Wal-Mart were invalid, so I kept returning to Wal-Mart trying to prove my reason correct, and my emotions wrong, like returning to an abusive relationship hoping things would change. I’ve discovered, in the long-run, my emotions always win. I couldn’t find peace until I listened to and understood my emotions. The post was inspired in a moment in September when my wife and I were leaving Wal-Mart, and I said to her “I feel like I am going to be sick. Why do we keep coming here?” It dawned on me – we were acting insane – doing the same thing and expecting different results.

If you can identify something in your environment that makes you feel ill, look for a positive alternative. When I made a final decision to never shop at Wal-Mart again, it was like distancing myself from any negative influence, my negativity decreased and my hope and joy increased.

Oh! And there is another reason I posted it. I believe the world would be a better place if fewer people shopped at Wal-Mart.