Go For a Walk

I didn’t have anything in particular to do today, so I went for a long walk through an unfamiliar neighborhood. When I started out, I thought about how slow and heavy my legs felt. I thought about where I was heading, what I’d do when I got there, what I'd do when I got back. I checked the time. I was too wrapped up thinking to notice anything.

Then I came upon a house, a lawn, its trees all covered in wild, beautiful vines. This tiny lawn was a small patch of dark green wilderness in a sea of perfectly trimmed suburban lawns. "Wow," I thought. "Wow."

(I only took a quick picture.)

I continued walking, but I was changed. I started looking at my surroundings in a new way. I was drinking in every detail, no longer thinking about anything. The sun was bright and the air was still, leaving everything bathed in tranquility. Time seemed to have stopped. Everything seemed magical. And what did it matter what time it was? The suburban homes were rich in detail. One house still had Charlie Brown Christmas decorations out. Another was orange with purple trim. I was so curious I even picked up paper scraps and looked at them. A description of children’s crafts. A paper that had come with a guitar purchase. I was so spellbound, I half wished I had a notebook with me, for I wanted to write down everything and capture the feeling. But sometimes it is important to just be present. Looking. Absorbing. Being.

When you’re in the present moment, you realize that there are no problems. There is nothing to worry about. You are part of the universe, irrevocably connected with everything. Everything around you was created just for you at this moment. 

Go for a walk. Allow yourself to become transfixed, amazed, and in love with everything that you see. It is good for your soul.