In March we celebrate International Women’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, the much-adored Pi Day and more. For sports fans, there is March Madness and NFL season kickoff. Plus, of course, the revered Spring Equinox. March has a lot to offer.
March also has a secret. My friend Tom, who was born on March fourth, once declared that March is the only month that is both a noun and verb—which carries a bossy capability no other month can pull off.
March urges us to take some kind of action every day. March commands us to move, to act, to well . . . march forth! Ha, it even tells us when, with each date. March first, March second, March third, all the way to the thirty-first.
Every March, I remember Tom’s insight, imagining a queue of people arranging themselves in a line, ready to follow their marching orders. For me, this amusing trick of mind makes the idea of marching forward stick.
March’s commanding nature makes me laugh but it also makes me think. Example: It’s the third month of the year. Remember if you can, that crazy ritual we force upon ourselves every new year, suffering writer’s cramp while listing all the ill-fated miracle makeovers that will quickly slip aside. Dare I ask how those resolutions are working for you. Well, buck up; there is still hope.
March, a transition month, promises renewal, shifting us from the dark and cold toward welcome light and the promise of warmer days. It makes for a perfect time to pause and reflect what winter brought or wrought. Seasonal transitions aren’t always smooth (just like life), but you can use March’s “hidden in plain sight” daily directives to renew you. Hint: when you look at your calendar, focus on the month’s name, not just the date.
You now know a secret few people are aware of—sweet mental mischief you can use to keep you going (even for the rest of the year if you like). Let this month’s name be your incentive to keep going forward toward your goals and dreams. You now have your marching orders. Get going and keep marching forth—every day!
