In September, I started a 40-day commitment to my personal wellness: exercise, hydration and keeping an eye on my admittedly poor consumption of fruits and vegetables. It was fantastic. When I exercise, I sleep better, think more clearly and do a much better job of managing stress. I posted my daily results to a specific section of my blog, using the power of social media and a cadre of followers to keep me honest and hold myself accountable. The system has worked really well for me.
And yet, much to my surprise, there were critics.
“I can’t believe that you would advocate being so selfish,” one person wrote. “Someone who advocates this kind of behavior is not the sort of person that people want to work with.” Really? Because this is exactly the kind of person that I want to work with. I’d love to work with someone who can make a commitment, someone who can see a project through to completion in spite of obstacles, someone who operates with complete transparency through good days and bad.
The confusion arises when the lines between “self” and “selfish” are blurred. It seems that anything that focuses on caring for yourself (a good thing!) becomes inextricably connected with being selfish (negative, self-absorbed, undesirable). How did this happen? The two things are not one and the same.
The irony of this criticism is that I did some really great work during this 40-day period. I began my days clearheaded and refreshed. I had conference calls, submitted proposals, met with clients, networked and yes, actually worked every single day. I had an hour each day to puzzle over work challenges while running in the crisp morning air; would I have been more efficient or effective sitting at my desk with a cup of caffeine?
I don’t mean to get all new-agey, but if you don’t take care of yourself, who will? If you can’t take care of yourself, what use are you to others? To borrow from Dyana Valentine: what did you do for you today? I don’t know about you, but today I started my day right.
WTF! Your (lame) critic is probably overweight, eats processed food as a habit, is sedentary and never goes to the gym. Send ‘em to the Get a Life store and ignore.
Aargh. I’m still p***** some wacko would weigh in with “selfish”. Are you sure it wasn’t a comical send-up just to tease you rather than a real zing? Just for that, add a 41st day!