It's that time we all love and fear, where we face our past, present and future all at once. Whether it's due to cultural obligation or personal conviction, most of us choose to make resolutions upon the arrival of a new year. And many people choose health-related resolutions, like regular exercise or a healthier diet. And as January fades, that commitment becomes more and more difficult to keep. The gym starts to filter out, the salad bar gets old, and we become discouraged. Is this really what it means to be healthy? Is this really what "new year, new me" is all about?
Last week I was running errands and stopped to peruse some magazines. I've been hoping to get back to my regular gym routine, so I decided to browse a women's health magazine. There were actually some really helpful articles and step-by-step workout instructions that were potentially very useful, but I noticed something in between the lines. Actually, it wasn't even between the lines. It was everywhere in big, bold print.
There were pages with huge, colorful titles reading "5 Steps to A Flat Belly!," motivational tips that said "Get That Lazy *** out of ***** bed!" and plans to reduce dress size in a matter of weeks. Even the recipes were all about cutting calories (which I think people forget that we need to live). I put the magazine down, thinking surely that couldn't be what health is all about. I glanced at the covers of other magazines and books claiming to be catalysts for a healthy life. Most of them highlighted weight loss or recommendations for better sex. Before getting discouraged, I asked myself an important question. What is my motivation for being healthy? What does it take for me to take care of myself?
In my humble opinion, anyone who takes the steps to live a healthy lifestyle shouldn't do so in hopes of becoming a worthwhile human being, but rather because they already realize their great worth. You are worth taking care of. You do what you need to be the best you can be--to paraphrase Dr. Seuss. What if we stopped motivating ourselves with smaller clothing sizes and hopes for sexual attention? What if working out and eating well are worthwhile because they result in living well? What if resolutions aren't because we're not good enough, but because there are better days ahead?
