Friday, March 16, 2007

Friday Quote Day

I consider being ill as one of the great pleasures of life, provided one is not too ill.
Samuel Butler
I'm not too ill. Massive doses of Vitamin C and a "healthy-as-a-horse" constitution find me feeling fit as a fiddle this morning, actually. Today is a scheduled rest day, and Mother Nature is conspiring with the schedule to force me to rest for another day or two. It is rain-rain-raining now, and may be snow-snow-snowing tomorrow. Spring? Wherefore art thou?

And, since Friday Quote Day is all about motivation and inspiration, a bonus quote!
Envy can be a positive motivator. Let it inspire you to work harder for what you want.
Robert Bringle, quoted in Redbook
We good little Judeo-Christians grew up thinking envy was a sin, so wrapping one's brain around the idea that there's a good side to envy can bring up some conflicting thoughts. But there are two sides to every coin, including the envy one.

If what we envy – desire, covet, want – is an achievable goal, though, we can use it as a carrot-on-a-stick, always just slightly ahead of us, spurring us on to work harder and more diligently. Feeling envious is often seen as a negative emotion, but turn it just slightly and we're happy for someone else's good fortune, and we naturally want it for ourselves.

I'm certainly envious of a toned, normal-sized body. I'm a bit repelled by stick-thin actresses and models – and I like to eat – so I'm not likely to starve myself down to perfection.

But admiring a physique that is, for me, achievable through consistent exercise and healthful meals is a great motivator.

I hope this doesn't sound too narcissistic, but my carrot-on-a-stick is me, 10 years ago. I know what's possible. I've done it before. I regret having to do it again, but I believe there's some lesson in here I need to learn, and I think it has something to do with caring for myself – outside and in.

Blog break alert: I won't be around the computer much this weekend, but most of you aren't, either, so I don't think anyone's going to miss me. If you're Irish, drink a green beer for me!

But make it light. Heh.

Forty-three days until race day.

2 comments:

Jack Sprat said...

D:

Well, I don't know if my "sin" is envy or pride, but I'm totally with you on wanting my body to look GREAT. I'm certainly glad of the health benefits of being thin, but the fact that my body has been in such incredible shape the past four years is an incredible motivator for me.

We have to work with what we've got, right?

-J

Mary Christine said...

Have a great weekend, and get well!