Wow, February is National-Something-Month par excellence! Just a sampling:
International Boost Self-Esteem Month
International Expect Success Month
National Care About Your Indoor Air Month
National Laugh-Friendly Month
National Time Management Month
Pull Your Sofa Off the Wall Month
and my favorite
Spunky Old Broads Month
I’ve long known that quite a few holidays were created specifically by the greeting card industry and at times, I do my part to increase their business. Others were dreamed up to create awareness about a particular item, issue or cause; and so many of them simply to (hopefully) boost profits in the commercial sector. Thank goodness the greeting card industry hasn’t gone whole-hog but I must admit, I’d be interested to see what they came up with for ‘National Grapefruit Month’!
Some I can see the impetus behind – by February most of us have been cooped up in the house for several months and may even have the midwinter blues. Checking your indoor air quality is a good thing to do since you’re not breathing much fresh air at this point. Pulling your sofa away from the wall & vacuuming behind it gives you a sense of clean accomplishment when it’s done (and may help with the air quality ;)). Laughter is nearly always the best medicine and can pull us out of a funk. Starting in February, accountants need all the time management skills they can muster!
Boost Self-Esteem and Expect Success sort of go hand-in-hand, don’t they? I don’t know about you but self-esteem isn’t a problem for me: I long got over all the put-downs I heard and instead concentrated on what is good about me. I can’t wear a low-cut dress but I can wear something cut close to the hips. I can’t compose music but I can do a tax return. I can’t paint a portrait but I can sew a wedding gown.
Because I know what’s good about me and what my skills are, I expect success at every undertaking; if I didn’t think whatever it is would work, I wouldn’t start it in the first place! Of course, I research anything thoroughly before even thinking about taking the plunge. Yes, there have been failures but they have also been learning experiences upon which I’ve built.
Perhaps this attitude makes me a Spunky Old Broad. Based on the criteria at spunkyoldbroad.com, I qualify. I’m over 50 and love life. If I find my path starting to get rough, I take steps – mundane first, then magical if necessary – to smooth it out to something more navigable … at least only speed bumps instead of teeth-jarring potholes. Thanks to friends (and sometimes even the cats), I laugh every day.
You, too, can be a spunky old broad even if you’re not ‘old’ or even female. Takes steps to fill in your potholes and laugh, even if it’s only a little giggle, every day.
BTW, tomorrow (February 11) is ‘Hug a Tall Person Day’. I celebrate that one every day: my husband is 6′ 4″.