This morning, after returning home from my usual four-lap jog at Nagai Park, an interesting article popped up in my iPad's Google app recommendations.
Running not only makes you healthier, but being a runner has positive effects on your character as well, huh?
Does jogging every morning even improve mental problems?
I had always assumed that I lacked communication skills; even until three or four years ago, when I got a job in a call center, I was always branded as "not good enough to do the job" and terminated halfway through.
However, when I got a job at a call center for a limited time from June this year, all my bosses, from leaders to supervisors, spoke highly of me. "You are a promising prospect!" "You communicate well!"
On the other hand, one of my peers looked exactly like I did three years ago. She is the type of person who makes herself unhappy. When I was working next to her, I could hear the quality of her phone calls was remarkably poor, and I was anxious that she would offend a customer at any moment. When I tried to have a conversation with her, she would always speak in a way that was difficult to get to the point, I couldn't help but ask her, "What's your point?" She also always had a frown on her face and looked sick. She seemed to be in a negative spiral. I saw her as I saw myself 3 years ago and to be honest, I wanted to distance myself from her. Eventually, her contract was terminated one month before expiration due to incomplete fulfillment of her labor obligations.
My initial contract was until the end of August, but they appreciated me so much that they extended it until the end of September. On the last day, they said to me over and over again, "Please come back next year!
I compared myself with her and had very mixed feelings. To begin with, I had no idea what I had done in the past three years to improve my communication skills.
My contract at my previous job expired at the end of last month, so I am "between jobs" this month. However, I soon found another job. I will start work on November 6th, the day after the Yodogawa Marathon. I am not sure if I can handle for it.
The person in charge of the new job is the same person who had helped me three years ago. In other words, I am meeting him for the first time in three years.
He texted to my iPhone at 9 a.m. prompting me to confirm an email he had sent yesterday evening. I thought it would be a hassle to reply to his text, so I called him directly. During our phone conversation, he was amazed at how much I had changed.
According to him, I used to speak in a way that was difficult to get to the point, but now I speak in a cheerful, orderly, and easy-to-understand way, and I understand what he is saying.
He asked me, "By the way, you've been running lately, haven't you?"
He was relieved that I am no longer at risk of being considered incomplete in fulfilling my labor obligations.
It means that my running habit has unwittingly had quite a positive effect on my character.
- Read more
Write a comment