Enhancing a Habit to Increase the Benefits

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 101

Aug 29, 2024

Welcome back, my friends!

If you have been reading Take Pen to Paper long enough, you know I take daily walks.

I’m not a big fan of getting out of bed early in the morning, but I love starting my summer days with a walk. Early morning is the best time to see and hear wildlife, even in a suburban neighborhood like mine.

In this newsletter:

My daily walks.
Sightings along the way.
Being still.

Each Day Brings A New Walk

I have walked my neighborhood for years. Actually, that’s neighborhoods because I started in 1997, which was four neighborhoods ago. When I got my first phone with a camera, I started taking pictures of things I saw along the way and got serious about it six years ago.

No two walks on the same route are the same.

My phone always goes with me. Sometimes, I listen to podcasts or music, but I make a conscious effort to unplug and just walk. I try to do it at least once a week. I occasionally run into a friend who is walking, but I’m just as often by myself - just my thoughts and me. I have my phone, but I keep it in my pocket.

My entire walk is two miles and takes me about an hour. That’s a lot of me time.

On my tech-free walks, I make all kinds of observations about myself, my surroundings, my actions, and whatever pops into my mind. I smile at memories of past glimmers and note the changes that come with the seasons.

Sometimes I pull my phone out and write a note to myself if I have a really good thought. Or I will take a picture I can’t resist, like this:

My eye caught the change the feather made in the gravel pattern. But in general, I just enjoy being away from the constant attempts to grab my attention.

I find my walks are the perfect time to be grateful.

As Still As A Statue

My walking route is a one-mile stretch of street. I must repeat the route or circle the cul-de-sacs several times to cover two miles.

I often walk the farthest cul-de-sac five times. It has a nice view of the lake.

I was there the other day when I looked over into a yard and saw the silhouette of what I thought was a big bird on a faux (it’s a heavy plastic) landscaping boulder. It sat in the shade 30 feet from me. It was very still and didn’t seem bothered by my presence. Could my neighbors have put a fake bird on their fake boulder to keep some kind of critter away?

On my second trip around, the bird looked the same. Its back was to me. Maybe he wasn’t aware I was so close. Or maybe it was fake. On my third trip around, I thought I could see the beak turned to the left. Had the beak been there before? Maybe that was a shadow in the grass beyond it. I would look on my next lap around to see if it was still there.

On the fourth lap, its beak was pointing in the opposite direction! I took a picture to zoom in to tell what kind of bird it was. It was definitely a hawk and real. I was finally rewarded when the hawk briefly ruffled his feathers and settled back down.

The Challenge to Be Still

This morning, when I passed the house with the fake boulders, I wondered if my tech-free walks were close enough to being still like the hawk on the boulder.

Why am I not taking advantage of my walks to make them more?

I have tried meditation but haven’t been able to make the habit stick. I really don’t like to be still unless I am reading.

But I’m partially there if I already enjoy tech-free walks. I’ve given enough attention to my stride to stop favoring one hip over the other. If I can focus on that, I can take it further and make at least part of my walk a meditation walk.

When I had this thought during my walk, I pulled out my phone and made a note.

I did a little research before sitting down to write this. I think I’m ready to try making 5 to 10 minutes of my walk each day a meditation walk.

If I can look for little things that make me wonder and smile, and change how I walk, I can intentionally focus on my inner thoughts and senses and ground myself in the present during my walk.

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good

We have hawks in the neighborhood, which helped me identify this bird. 🦅
I’m fairly sure this is a red-tailed hawk. Here is some more information about them.
A quote: “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” - John Muir 🌲🌲🚶‍➡️
I’m grateful for my quiet street that ends in a cul-de-sac. The traffic is light, and I usually know everyone who drives by. 👋
This article has a guide to walking meditation. 🧘‍♀️
This is a good article that explains the benefits and how to start the habit.
It’s good to be alone with your thoughts. You never know where they will lead or when inspiration will hit.
It’s good to have a habit that needs just a little tweaking to get more benefits.

Thank you for reading. This week, unplug and take a five-minute walk. You deserve it!

Until next time,

💚

Susan

What is your favorite place to walk? Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to read about it.

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