The Walk. . .
I went for a walk the other day, no destination, no real plan, I just needed to move a little. At first, it felt like any other walk – thinking about things, Running creative ideas and concepts through my mind and mentally organizing the next few days of tasks and strategies to reach some deadlines.
Somewhere along the way though I stopped and asked myself – is this a walk or planning for productivity session? Is this what I often write about and ask others to they and engage in? mental multitasking? Or mindfully walking? In that moment my awareness returned and I decided to walk and not plan.
From that moment forward I focused on my steps, the beautiful weather the changes my area was going through. Yes these were new thoughts on new things, but they put me more in touch with my walk than my week. I noticed I wasn’t really thinking about anything in particular anymore and just enjoying what each new step brought.
Just walking.
Step by step.
Foot hitting the ground. Breathing steady. Not trying to get anywhere, not trying to figure anything out.
Just moving.
And it reminded me just how rare that actually is. We’re almost never just doing one thing. We’re always layering something on top of it, thinking, planning, replaying, anticipating. Even something as simple as walking becomes another space for the mind to stay busy. But in that mindful moment there was nothing extra – it felt complete.
Buddhism often brings us back to this idea, not in some big, complicated way, but in the smallest, most ordinary actions.:
This step.
This breath.
This moment.
Not the next one.
Not the one we’re replaying.
Just this.
Life is never happening somewhere else. It’s not waiting for us at the end of a plan or a goal or a timeline. It’s unfolding right here in whatever we’re doing. Even something as simple as a walk. Maybe especially something as simple as a walk!
So today, whatever you’re doing, try doing just that. Nothing extra. Just this.
Peace and Love, Jim
#walkingmeditation #thedailybuddha #tdb
