Walk At Your Own Risk

Jon Gordon's Positive U was the first podcast I ever listened to. I eventually heard him talk about his "gratitude walks" he takes each morning. I liked that idea. So I copied him. No shame to my game. Give credit to whom credit is due. It may have taken me three years, but it's not like I had a deadline.

During that strange time now known as "during COVID," a solo walk of peaceful gratitude and reflection wasn't happening. And there are three, actually four, good reasons for that. I have a 9-year-old, an 8-year-old, and a 35-month-old (knowing my child's age in months def proves I'm an awesome dad). And my wife. It's rude to ask a woman's age, so I'll just tell you: she's 28. ❤️‍🔥

But COVID finally wore out its welcome and my employer chased it away by bringing us all back into the office. Longing for sunshine and a chance to see the random salamander scampering across the sidewalk, I began taking short walks outside twice a day. The vitamin D was healing. The breeze refreshing. The deer startled me.

Yes. The deer.

I ran up on 4 or 5 of them one day. They didn't see me coming. If I was a predator, I would've eaten very good that day. But alas, I'm not a primal man. I'm just a business-casual corporate man who outsources his meal prep to paid professionals.

But I didn't see them either. They jumped and slipped and stumbled as they fled from my threatening presence. Their hooves were not made for concrete sidewalks. My slip-resistant shoes were.

Why didn't I see them? I was looking down. I was watching my feet churn the sidewalk and justify my wearing a Fitbit with cutting-edge step-tracking technology. If only it possessed a radar of sorts that would warn me a group of vegetarian mammals is around the corner, or possibly a cold-blooded venomous killer. Or…maybe I should just start looking UP while walking?

I'm glad I learned that lesson, because months later I nearly walked face-first into a Joro spider. But I'm swift and agile. And my shoes still have grip. And I'm strong enough to swing a stick.

But enough with the perilous nature walks. That's not the point. Take them at your own risk. The point is: look up!

Look Up

If you go for a walk, look up. Don't mindlessly stare at the pavement or trail. Look up and out around you and take in the trees, flowers, animals, the sunshine and sky. Listen to the sound of the wind in the trees, the unique and fascinating songs of birds.

Look up from your phone. Outside that little glass-encased cyberworld is a real world of real people. Connecting with them is more difficult than paying your monthly cell phone bill, but it is also much more meaningful and more rewarding than that 5G life we've been unhappily living.

Look up and consider where you are going. Literally. Look up. The light is green and people behind you are honking (shame on you for reading and driving).

Look up. As a habit, look up. Take a few minutes and observe people walking around. No matter where they are going (unless they're tourists), most people's eyes are glued to the ground. I understand we don’t want to trip and fall, but we're not walking through minefields folks!

TL/DR

And lastly, take a deep breath in. Fill your lungs with air. Hold it. Lift up and spread your shoulders. Lift up your chin. It almost feels like you just put on confidence. But it's in you not on you.

Confident people are healthier people. Not arrogant, condescending, or superficial swag. Confident. For most of us, it does not come naturally. But an effective strategy for creating confidence is practicing confidence.

Straighten up. Breathe in. Look up.