Move Your Body

I won’t bore you with the gory details, but I’ve been spending a lot of time with truck drivers lately.  I’m working on the marketing and launch strategy for a truck GPS device, and part of that involves advertising in magazines that truckers read.  As I was paging through one such magazine the other day to check out our advertisement, I began reading an article stating that September was “self-improvement” month.  What a great topic for an entry, methinks.

I’ve been trying to look online to find out who, with all of their new-age well-meaning intentions, decided September would be the month to clean out your mental closet.  I couldn’t find it, but what I DID learn was that October is “Emotional Intelligence” month.  Oh boy, can’t wait to write about that one.  Perhaps I’ll throw in some colorful stories of my college days to truly illustrate the importance of “emotional intelligence,” for my readers.  Some of which involve me climbing out my bedroom window onto the roof of my apartment building, drowning my sorrows-of-the-day in pint after pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.  Still others involve explaining to my landlord that I still deserve my security deposit even though there is a gaping hole the size of my fist in the drywall in my room.  Alas, I’ll keep you wanting and focus on September for now.

Some articles I’ve found have called September “self-help” month. Some call it “self-awareness” and still others call it “self-improvement” month.  Whichever way you cut it, there’s a reason that the self-help section is so popular at your local Border’s or Barnes & Noble.  It seems people are always trying to push themselves to improve.  I am quite drawn to the self-help section myself.  I mean who isn’t drawn to the volumes of information promising to teach you everything from how to lose weight or boost your GMAT score, to how to improve your sex life or become a better parent?  Truth is, we could all improve upon something.

I read an interesting article on a blog recently that argued against the whole idea of “self-improvement,” because it implies something is wrong with you in the first place.  Well, I hate to be blunt (if you know me you know that’s only half true), but there is something wrong with you.  I mean, there’s got to be something, right?

Most of us are stressing about our jobs or money to some extent or another.  And most of us have a voice inside, whether you’re realize it or not, that’s always making you aware of your weight.  (And NO it’s not just this blog that’s making you aware of it.)  Am I getting too fat?  Am I exercising enough?  If I eat this piece of cake for Gwen’s going away party at work, how much running do I have to do later?  Do I even have time to run?  Am I eating well enough?  Is there too much sodium in this Lean Cuisine? (By the way, this last one is easy – the answer is always YES.)

I think most people are always searching for a way to improve their current situation.  So maybe we all stop a moment and indulge the idea of “self-awareness” this September.  Take a moment, if you are the type to keep pushing yourself, to recognize and reward yourself for always trying to be better.  If you have had your head down for a while, grinding away at life, take a second to stop and look around.  Are you content with your current situation?  Is there anything you could change?  Maybe that involves big things like your job or your weight or your relationship with your partner.  But it could be bite-sized things too – maybe you can commit to thinking more positively, or making time for breakfast, or giving yourself an extra ten minutes in the shower in the morning.  Consider it a 9-month check in on your New Year’s resolution.  (If you can even remember them at this point.)

So this September, as the leaves are falling and you’re cursing Mother Nature for not giving you weather hot enough for a summer anyway (oh wait that’s only if you live in Chicago) think about you.  Think about what makes you happy and make a pact to draw more of THAT, whatever it is, into your life.