Last weekend, during our weekly Skype session, my mother asked me “So, what got into you lately? All of a sudden you came up with this vegetarian lifestyle, and now you are exercising a lot, and getting into meditation… why?” My reply was a no-brainer, I spurted it out without needing to think about it for a second, “Because I’m tired of my half-assed living inertia, I’m tired of feeling like I’m not living up to my potential, so I wanted to put a stop to it and become a proper human being”. She seemed shocked but somehow pleasantly surprised by my words. Another thing that propelled my change of habits was my realization of the fact that I waste a lot of time throughout the day doing nothing in particular, time that I could use in a more constructive way, by working on bettering myself.
Don’t waste your time or time will waste you, as the lyrics from Muse’s Knights of Cydonia say.
As I mentioned before, I didn’t like This Book Will Save Your Life, but at least one single line from it stuck to me. When the main character meets a famous young actor that lives next door, his first impression is that everything about him was above average: his voice, movements, body constitution, clothes, hair, everything. The so called “star quality” is what makes celebrities so appealing: when it comes to their image and appearance, they have that little extra that makes them stand out. They give the fleeting impression of being just like you, but better. I want to develop that aura of self possession*; however, this time I don’t want to compare myself to other people. I just want to be the best version of myself I can possibly be.
I posted the classic Rocky training montage on Facebook the other day and said “this will be me in a few months."Somebody asked me: And who are you going to fight against?
I replied: Myself. And I’m going to kick my ass.
Procrastination and plain laziness might win the battle many times, but this time I will keep going no matter what. I think I’m still on time to make an important impact on the direction of my life.
Even the smallest change can make a big difference, and one of the things I’m working on at the moment appearance and health-wise is:
Having a Better Posture
A good posture is one of the main things that leaves a remarkable impression on people and transmits a message of confidence and capability. Just picture Gus Fring from Breaking Bad: his perfect posture and elegant way of walking and carrying himself is an inalienable part of his impeccable and powerful image. My current boss, who is one of those super-busy, super-successful, athletic types, can be immediately identified from afar by his brisk walking pace and his perfectly straight posture, his chin positioned firmly up and looking straight ahead; in contrast with most of the people who walk hunching and dragging their feet while staring at the floor.
Wouldn't you love to look this badass?
In spite of being something so basic, many of us neglect our posture on a daily basis. Sometimes, we are not even aware of how bad it looks until we catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror, or look at photos or video taken when we were not watching or posing. Most of the time, the way it looks is not even the worst part, but all those mysterious painful sensations, stiffness, and the stress that one feels after being sitting or standing in an awkward way.
Something essential to having a good posture is to have strong muscles, which is a product of the dreaded E word: EXERCISE. Strong abdominal and back muscles will keep you nice and straight. I remember that when I trained Tae Kwon do and was at the height of my Jackie Chan-esque powers, people would often ask if I practiced ballet or artistic gymnastics; when I asked them why, they would say something like “you have a very elegant, really straight posture”. The thing was that I wasn’t even trying to keep a straight posture at all times, it was effortless — unlike these days, where I need to make a conscious effort to avoid hunching while I’m seating or leaning my body forwards when I’m walking.
However, one doesn’t need to go through months of physical prowess in order to achieve a good posture; to some extent, is something that can be worked on immediately, although it requires a lot of effort and constant repetition in order to achieve it. It is very simple: every time that you catch yourself in a bad position, straighten your back and pull your stomach in. Actually, that is a piece of advice that my father gave me once; I asked him how he managed to keep a flat stomach, and he said “just pull it in every time that you remember”. I thought he was joking, since it sounded like an absurdly simplistic and stupid solution, but guess what? It works like nothing else! I started doing it: pulling my stomach in every time I caught myself sitting or standing (or walking) with a little abdominal bulge about to emerge, and eventually it became so natural that I stopped consciously thinking about it. In case this sounds like some sort of pathetic palliative solution, I must point out that there’s method in this madness: by contracting your abdominal muscles on a regular basis you gradually make them stronger and firmer (because the pulling in maneouvre I refer to is more about contracting your abs, not holding your breath and elevating your rib cage until you have a concave stomach), and therefore, you start achieving a better shape over time.
Also, for standing elegantly, I found an interesting tip on one of my mother’s eighties magazines (browsing old fashion magazines is one of my holiday pastimes, don’t judge!). It was an article with advice from a woman who ran a modeling school, but I find that the same principles can apply to men as well. The key to good posture: spine always straight, chest out, abdomen in; shoulders thrown back, pelvis slightly forward, and chin up (a process we could call Gusfringisation).
Sometimes the small details make all the difference between average and outstanding.
Another extra-tip to regain that extra inch that is usually deducted from our height whenever we are hunching: imagine that a rope is pulling the back of your head, constantly. This will help you to keep your spine straight, and once you do that, everything else will fall into place, since the body aligns itself automatically. If you are standing still, distribute your weight equally onto both feet and move your hip slightly forwards.
Some people also suggest sitting on an exercise ball instead of a regular chair while working on the computer or at the desk, since this will strengthen the muscles of your core as your body tries to keep its balance, and over time this results in a better posture. However, I have not tried that yet.
So, that’s it. Surprisingly simple; the improvement might be not as conspicuous or as consistent as one would like, but by being constant, it will yield great results.
*self possesion is a term that I first encountered when reading Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge. It basically refers to confidence, but I like it because it sounds more like carrying oneself and acting in the exact way one wants it, as opposed to letting external influences dictate our movements and reactions.
Greetings from the city of the ever-lasting winter,