Why Do They Think You Want/Need 'A New You'?

Funny, yesterday I saw an ad for Pilates classes in the local paper and it was titled 'A New U' Pilates classes and it freaked me out a bit. You come across the phrase 'A New You' - or more cutely, 'A New U' - especially as a woman, but I never had such a negative reaction. Now I have seen it a couple more times, perhaps as it's just after new year: There was an article in the Irish Examiner weekend section about make up with the phrase 'create a brand new makeup bag for a brand new you' and Avon has a line of cosmetics for us older women called 'Anew'.

Are women these days really looking for 'a new you' or is this just a kind of copycat copywriting going on in the media, more in focus now because of the time of year? Whatever it is, it is bugging me. It's not giving women the credit they deserve, in thinking that the 'current you' isn't good enough.

I've been into 'self help' for awhile (from reading The Road Less Travelled to attending meditation classes at the London Buddhist Centre to joining every community group going, etc.) and there have been many times when I may have thought I needed 'a new me', but I have come to realise that there is just 'me' -- the me that's here now and I may be happy with me at the moment or not, but that's something I need to deal with. Maybe a pilates class or new makeup will help me feel better and be more open to getting to terms with 'me', but I would run away from anything titled 'A New You'.

Perhaps all the various books read, classes attended and therapy tried has brought me to this thinking or perhaps it was just going to happen after a good number of years of living, but each person just has to find it for herself.

Lately I have been spending a lot of time on Facebook and have reconnected with childhood friends and that has been the best feeling ever -- getting in touch with the 'old me' has been great -- and so I am attempting to just bring it all together and be happy with the 'Real Me'.