Walking on the Wild Side

After a week-long trek with dogs and family in tow, I am now settled in on Cape Cod. This is the 20th summer my family has made the cross-country pilgrimage and it seems to only get better each year--each of us has our "favorites" we look forward to with anticipation during the academic year...For my daughter it is the beach and her friends, for my husband it is the clam chowder and the slower pace, for me it is the walks and runs along the water's edge. Having been land-locked for the past 11 years when we moved from the Bay Area to San Antonio, I never tire of being close to the water each and every day we are here.

Each morning offers up a new experience and opportunity. Together with the dogs, I explore the trail which runs along the water's edge--hunting for sea glass, driftwood, shells and polished stones. Yesterday was wet and gray; the water flat and dark like a sheet of obsidian rock. The cormorants huddled with the ducks on the outcropping of rocks in the water, shielding their bodies from the wet breeze. This morning, however, was a 180 degree shift--bright blue sky and sunshine greeted me as I tumbled out the front door with the happy dogs. The sun shimmered off the sparkling water and the seagulls appeared to glow in stark contrast with the blue-blue sky as they flew over in search of a morning snack. The air smelled of the fresh seaweed kicked up on the shore by the overnight waves. Each walk brings me directly in touch with the here and now--my mind opens up as my senses are awakened by the sights, sounds and smells of the morning.

Over the course of the average week, most people spend the majority of their time in hermetically-sealed buildings or office complexes; some people never see the light of day as they go to work in the dark and return home in the dark at the end of a long day squinting at a computer screen, fielding calls or calming crises. Some of my clients do not even have a window to steal a glance or two out of over the course of a day. Stepping outside into the real environment--the one with birds, trees, greenery and sound, allows us to reawaken our senses--inhaling the unfiltered air, hearing the sounds of the environment, filtering out the car noise and picking up the sound of the birds chirping in the trees. I think about my walks and runs as reentering the world of the living as compared to the sometimes stressful world we create for ourselves.

When was the last time you took a walk and opened yourself up to experience your environment? Not only will a walk around your neighborhood or a lunchtime stroll do your waistline and heart good, but it will allow your mind an opportunity to release your stress. Sometimes as I head out for my run, I am stressed by the events of the day or by an issue in my work. The first minutes of the run are spent processing the day. Once that tension is cleared, I then shift into a problem-solving mode. Often by the end of a run I have come up with a solution for a client or issue and I am re-energized, not drained by the experience. I feel the act of getting outside, allows my mind to open up to entertain different possible solutions. In shifting my environment, I shift my thinking as well.

So what do you say? Sometime this weekend how about you put on some walking shoes, sunscreen, grab a bottle of water and take a walk on the wild side? Who knows what you will discover about yourself and your neighborhood!

Thought for the Day: What can you do to carve out 15 minutes or more three times this week to get yourself outside for a walk? If it helps, think of the walk not as exercise, but as allowing your mind to open up to creativity.

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.
Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.
- Raymond Inmon