Sweet September

There's nothing like finishing August with a raging heat wave to make you appreciate the arrival of September.

Last week, I was surfacing from the relative coolness of the subway to find myself instantly bathed in sweat from a furnace blast of hot, humid, dead air. Usually I can tolerate the heat - like most modern city folk, I move from air conditioned space to air conditioned space with relative ease. And, while muggy hot days seem to slow time as you move yourself through soup, there were only 10 "Heat Advisory" days recorded in Toronto this summer - not that many in the grand scheme of things.

Still, the arrival of September and a sudden change in temperature was a relief. On Sunday, I noticed an increased number of runners, cyclists and walkers outside getting some exercise and attributed it to the cool fall air releasing people from the treadmill. DH wondered if it wasn't more related to the rash of people re-committing to their exercise programs after a summer hiatus and, in the end, we decided it had to be both.

For me, September is the true New Year. You can have January 1 - the habit of many years of school is ingrained and the new year is NOW. So, here are my New Year's resolutions:

* I am going to work hard to go easy on myself. After all this time of working on positive affirmation and self care, my brain has opened a locked door recently and found the negative loop that once dominated. It's not serious - yet - but I never want to go back to that place where I found fault with the very way I breathed. Nope - I am redoubling my efforts to ensure that door gets closed again and the dead bolt is latched.

* I am going to look at my vision board with new eyes. A vision board - okay, in my case it's a battleworn corkboard rescued from the office junk pile - is a useful tool - when you actually look at it! I'm going to visit it more often, update it with new inspiration and remember that every phrase and every picture and every item represents something meaningful and positive in my journey's past, present and future. My favourite quote currently on my vision board comes from Sam from last season's Biggest Loser: "When I look into a mirror, I want to see myself" - powerful stuff when you actually look at it.

* I am going to fall forward. Spring and Summer are full of promise for me: some of it like Homer's Sirens - not exactly what you bargained for! Still, I am not a Winter person and, to me, the arrival of September also signals an end. This year, I am going to look forward with anticipation. While it's not my ordinary nor personal strength to plan, I'm going to do just that: Thursday night I've enrolled in an oil painting class, Tuesday night's I'm swimming laps. Every other weekend, DH and I are going to have a day of fun - following hot on the heels of our every other weekend summer plan that was so much fun. there will be no tumbling down into fatigue and depression this fall - it's all forward - full steam ahead.

So - resolutions are struck and I am celebrating this new year.

How about you?