Good evening!
“A day at a time, a walk at a time, even a simple step at a time, my sad and tangled life began to sort itself. I say sort itself because all I did was “walk through it.” I have been walking ever since.”
~Julia Cameron
This quote has really resonated with me this week. You see, I have always been a bit of a walker – that is until the last 6 months. I am not sure why, but I just kind of stopped. No real reason…just stopped. now don’t get me wrong, I still walk a lot, to get to meetings, go to lunch, to find my car, but it is not the same as walking on purpose – with a purpose. For me that means to walk with no other intention but to get out into the fresh air, while enjoying nature and raising your heartbeat so you can listen to your inner voice. That is what I had given up! It was one way that I listened to my soul, and what it was trying to tell me.
Well, this past week, I have taken up walking again. On purpose. With no other intention but just to get my booty out of the house and spend some time with my inner thoughts while out in nature! Simple. Simple, yet oh so gratifying!! 😉
The benefits I have discovered for walking:
- Walking clears my head, especially if I am suffering from artist’s block! New ideas seem to just find me while I am walking.
- Walking alleviates anger and frustration! Things that are stressing me out just doesn’t seem as important after a long walk.
- Walking gives me the chance to change my perspective! I have a tendency to get channeled the finite details of things, and sometimes I really need to step back and see the big picture – walking does that for me!
- Walking really energizes me! If I take a 30 minute walk, I find I have way more energy then when I first started out!
- Walking helps me get a good nights sleep! If I take a long walk, like 45 minutes or more, I sleep like a log!! That is a GREAT feeling especially to someone like me, who has a tendency to be an insomniac!
- Walking really makes your legs look good, and if you take large enough strides, your booty gets a nice toning too! ALWAYS DESIRABLE!!! 😉
- Walking is a peacekeeper! If my sweetie and I are arguing or disagreeing about something, we can just take a walk together, and the energy we expend walking helps deflate the sales of whatever it is we are arguing about. Again – maybe this one fits under the changing of perspective benefit!
- Walking is a problem solver! When I am struggling with a decision, especially when I have more than one option at my disposal, walking helps me get focused and come up with my solution AKA make that decision!
I am sure that I have many many more positives to say about walking, but this is what I am able to come up with at the moment!!
My Take Action Challenge for you this week:
Get outside, into nature and start walking!! 10 to 15 minutes if that is all you can muster, but I highly recommend 30 minutes or more every day, ON PURPOSE!! Take note of how this one simple step changes things in your life this week! You just might be pleasantly surprised, and might even want to make this one of your life habits!!!
Here is to a FABULOUSLY ARTSY evening! 😉
If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!
Related articles
- Julia Cameron on Why We Should Write #3 (mufidahkassalias.com)
- The Artist’s Way: The Solution to Your Creative Slump (clutchmagonline.com)
- Julia Cameron on Why We Should Write #2 (mufidahkassalias.com)