That said, I already know the benefits of walking and why I do what I do. Surprisingly it's not about loosing weight, although that's been a nice side effect. Walking is the therapeutic. It gets me out of my head and helps me process my thoughts in positive ways. I feel better after I've walked and so good day or other wise, I stick to my routine because I know it'll make me feel good.
On days like this, when it would have been easy to fall into an old mindset of, "I'm tired, I'll catch it tomorrow...." Instead I pondered on the greater good, my reason for walking. There are many reasons, but the most important is because I will KNOW it's what my body needs, not my mind. My mind can talk me into and out of just about anything. It's great for analysis and evaluation, not so always so good when it comes to motivation. My mind can be a lazy pig. Given the choice it would rather not make my body move (unless it's golfing, hiking or other fun things).
So what to do when I don't want to do what I know I should do? I do it anyway. It's taken me a long while to discern what to listen to, what to believe and what to follow. I think it's easy to be on a sort of auto-pilot when it comes to doing things we don't like but we know we should do and in some cases, have to do. Most of the time, in those scenarios, I just want to get whatever it is over with and done, so I can get to the good stuff. I'm still working on that one...
I shared that my previous method was to push myself and that is outdated. It's not productive and in the end, it really depletes my positive outlooks and energetic reserves. There will always be things that I don't necessarily enjoy but have to do. And it's at such moments where I have a small window of opportunity, a quantum choice point of going left, right or staying in the middle. No one way is perfect, yet our entire lives are based on the choices we make in these moments. This is significant because over time we see the results of these choices in action, we experience their after-effects and those shape our reality. It's a very empowering to realize that we have the ability to change the trajectory of our lives through conscious choices and daily action. It may not seem like much at the time, but in long-term vision we see those steps adding up. There's no one else to blame if we aren't living the way we want to live. No one is responsible for our happiness. Anyone can contribute but the truth is that it is up to use to make those choices.
No matter what I do, I strive to find the good, the inspiration and positive spin, even in the seemingly worst situations. It's not always immediate though eventually it finds me. Notice I'm not always the ones that finds the inspiration, probably because I'm trying to hard and forcing it. That's where walking comes in, that's what I do what I do. Walking is a mind reset for me and something that I've become very fond of. Take tonight for instance. The weather was indecisive and I didn't want to get wet, (instead I got blown down the road! Oh well, that was interesting!)
Without looking for it, inspiration found me through was a fleeting glimpse of a brilliant rainbow. Rainbows are special to me, it's sort of a thing between God, Grandma and myself. It's been my "wink" since I was young. My Gramdma Ruth noted the connection and collected cute little rainbow mementos for me. Most of them are gone but the memories are still bright. I've seen rainbows at various times, seemingly out of nowhere without a drop of rain in the sky... (Yes, I know these are called sun dogs... please allow me to have my spin here!) Of course these are unplanned so I'm always a little surprised and instantly happy when I see one. I know that whatever I'm worried about at the time I see a rainbow, it will be alright. I've been worried about a couple of things ---and though I try to keep things in perspective there's can still be that raw, nagging feeling inside. I've completed the necessary steps so now...I wait and waiting is not easy. As I was walking along, attempting to say upright, I looked up and saw a glistening splash of color against the deep blue northern horizon. I got my confirmation, my "wink" thats what I've been worried about will be fine.
I know my reason for doing what I'm doing. I don't know the results yet, I don't know when or even if things will pan out, but I don't have to. That's NOT my reason. Instead I shift my focus out and away from my worries and sometimes, like tonight there's an added bonus, a little treat to keep me moving. I'm watching for those now and I greatly appreciate such packages when they arrive.
I encourage anyone reading this to get very clear on the reasons why you're doing whatever you're doing. While all of us have things to do, I can share it's much easier if we our values are in alignment with our actions. This is when we eventually see results. Is what you are doing positive and productive? Does it allow you to feel accomplished, confident and free? If the answer no, don't worry, just keep asking the questions and then follow where those take you. Pushing ourselves can be what is needed in the moment, but making a habit of that, as motivation may not yield the desired results. Being open, aware and willing to acknowledge those spots that are still in progress and celebrating the tiny moments of successful forward movement are what help build a foundation for positive changes that we're ready to experience.
I'm not by any means an expert on self-help. I do know that we all have the ability to offer insight and inspiration to others, if we're willing to find it for ourselves. I think that is a key point. We have to know why we are doing what we are doing so that when we do it, we can recognize our efforts, celebrate our success and keep finding our rainbows.
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