My blog is by no means widely read, but I nevertheless receive the occasional e-mail from companies looking to "partner" with me in some way so I can promote their products. This is actually quite common in the blogging world. The bigger bloggers will shill just about anything, usually from companies you've never heard of, and the smaller bloggers are even worse in their quest to become bigger bloggers themselves.
Some of the e-mails I receive don't make any sense, like the time a New York rum company failed to grasp the meaning of a pun and contacted me. Some make more sense, like when I wrote about the Spartan Race after being contacted by Dan the PR Man. And there have been many more inbetween.
I don't mind using my staggering influence to promote something I believe in, and let it be known I will do just about anything in exchange for being part of Runner's World's blogging team at their next running festival. But mostly I politely turn these companies down.
The other day I received an e-mail from someone over at Oscar Insurance. Apparently October is Health Literacy Month, and she wanted me to write about my personal health hero.
Like the others, I politely turned her down. But here we are on a rainy Saturday morning, and now I think, what the hell?
So who is my personal health hero? Me.
That naturally comes across as wildly narcissistic. But I'm serious. The only running partners I have are the dudes I run with on Wednesday night. While they certainly inspire me to get the miles in once a week, that hardly qualifies them for heroship. I don't need reminding from anyone to eat my veggies because I do so of my own volition. And I don't understand how a dog putting a smile on my face qualifies him for heroship either (maybe mental health?).
There are many in my life who inspire me. There are certain teachers at my school who inspire me to step up my own game in the classroom. There are students who inspire me to go the extra mile because I see just how much they love German. My wife inspires me with her loving nature and endless patience as she has transitioned into motherhood over the last five weeks. There are countless writers, actors, and runners out there whom I have never met but truly admire.
But health? I am my own hero. I know of no one else who works out as much as I do, or strives to eat as healthy as I do. I have my vices and indulgences, but overall I take my health seriously. Especially as a husband and now a father, I have to take care of myself if I am expected to take care of others.
At the end of the day, you are responsible for your own health. Don't sit around waiting for someone to inspire you to get healthy or stay healthy. Let your past accomplishments fuel your future ones, and become your own inspiration.
Some of the e-mails I receive don't make any sense, like the time a New York rum company failed to grasp the meaning of a pun and contacted me. Some make more sense, like when I wrote about the Spartan Race after being contacted by Dan the PR Man. And there have been many more inbetween.
I don't mind using my staggering influence to promote something I believe in, and let it be known I will do just about anything in exchange for being part of Runner's World's blogging team at their next running festival. But mostly I politely turn these companies down.
The other day I received an e-mail from someone over at Oscar Insurance. Apparently October is Health Literacy Month, and she wanted me to write about my personal health hero.
We know firsthand the importance of having the proper tools, motivation and support to make healthy choices, so we're asking a group of influential bloggers like yourself to tell us about a person in your life that helps you do just that. For this campaign, we'd like to know who your Health Hero is. Whether it's your running partner who keeps you going, your mom who still reminds you to eat your veggies, or even your dog, Tommy, who's always there to put a smile on your face. We want to hear about the people (or pets!) in your life that help keep you healthy and happy.
Like the others, I politely turned her down. But here we are on a rainy Saturday morning, and now I think, what the hell?
So who is my personal health hero? Me.
That naturally comes across as wildly narcissistic. But I'm serious. The only running partners I have are the dudes I run with on Wednesday night. While they certainly inspire me to get the miles in once a week, that hardly qualifies them for heroship. I don't need reminding from anyone to eat my veggies because I do so of my own volition. And I don't understand how a dog putting a smile on my face qualifies him for heroship either (maybe mental health?).
There are many in my life who inspire me. There are certain teachers at my school who inspire me to step up my own game in the classroom. There are students who inspire me to go the extra mile because I see just how much they love German. My wife inspires me with her loving nature and endless patience as she has transitioned into motherhood over the last five weeks. There are countless writers, actors, and runners out there whom I have never met but truly admire.
But health? I am my own hero. I know of no one else who works out as much as I do, or strives to eat as healthy as I do. I have my vices and indulgences, but overall I take my health seriously. Especially as a husband and now a father, I have to take care of myself if I am expected to take care of others.
At the end of the day, you are responsible for your own health. Don't sit around waiting for someone to inspire you to get healthy or stay healthy. Let your past accomplishments fuel your future ones, and become your own inspiration.
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