Is this the title of a Melissa Etheridge song or just the refrain running round in my head?

Note to self:  STOP reading US Magazine, Marie-Claire, Vogue, and other dangerous glossies.  And especially during vulnerable, cranky moon-time, avoid even Yoga Journal, whose lithe, blissed-out California yoga goddesses practicing full Natarajasana on the beach have the potential to send me into a reverie of despair and inadequacy.  

Doutzen Kroes in Vogue

I don’t need to know about the twice-daily workout regimen of Doutzen Kroes, the 24-year-old Danish supermodel.  Blonde hair, ice-blue eyes, bee-stung lips, and a stunning physique born of youthful speed-skating and exquisite Scandinavian genes.  Her personal trainer puts her through the paces with killer jump-rope classes, 30-minute ab routines, squats, lunges and more.  While satisfying my voyeuristic curiosity, this is not information that makes me feel grounded and calm, at peace with my life and my self.

After 15 minutes with US Mag, I even contemplate buying Fit-Flops, those new sandals that allegedly tone your legs and haunches while you go about your day, walking, doing housework, running errands.  The ad says results are “proven”.  Could they improve me?

Or what about going on a Blueprint Juice Cleanse, like Sarah Jessica Parker?  Even skinny women like SJP need to flush toxins and eliminate junk food cravings by drinking coconut water and specially blended juices for 3 days.  Wouldn’t such a Cleanse reinvigorate me too, make me feel (and look) a little like Doutzen?

The quest for self-improvement is a complete waste of time, energy, and potentially money.  It’s a perpetual  illusion that by doing more and buying more, we can be more.  Really what we need is to simply BE.  Scientific studies have shown that perfectionism– in adults and children– is a sure path to unhappiness and depression.

Could I allow myself to be ME, like this classic 80′s hit:

“Believe it or not, 
I’m walking on air. 
I never thought I could feel so free. 
Flying away on a wing and a prayer. 
Who could it be? 
Believe it or not it’s just me…”

Greatest American Hero Theme Song

Tags:   Doutzen Kroes · inadequacy · Self-improvement2 Comments