I remember when I was younger, I thought that ‘going for a walk’ was the strangest thing. My mum would always be going out and asking if I wanted to join, but why would I want to go on a ‘walk’? What’s the point in going out if you’re not actually going anywhere? What’s the point of walking around in a loop with no final destination? It always seemed so pointless to me and I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Oh how things have changed.
Fast forward a few (or a lot more than a few) years, and going for a walk is easily my favourite pass time. I know that lockdown accentuated walking and getting out into the great outdoors for everyone, as it was our only option! It became a massive trend and we couldn’t get enough of it! And I don’t know whether it is me showing my age, but I think that has really stuck around in peoples lives even when the world has gotten back to semi-normal. But back when walking was our only option, it was such a luxury and the biggest benefit to our otherwise stuffy minds and challenged mental health. The fresh air, open space, long views, sounds of nature, time to think, and the pure peace. To quote our Queen Tina, it’s simply the best.
If I hadn’t realised it already, those lockdown walks definitely made me realise what the point of ‘just going for a walk’ was, and its remained my most treasured activity ever since, and I think it always will. It is so true in all aspects of life that the journey is the most important and nourishing part, not the destination. Steven Bartlett was talking about this on a podcast I listened to recently, about how he was utterly miserable when his company was bought for an outrageous amount of money, even though that was always the goal he had worked towards. And recognising that whilst going for a big, fresh walk in nature and also applying that to each and every day of your life, is so reassuring and motivating on every level. The work we do and moments we enjoy every single day are the reason we are here, there will never really be a moment where you’ve ‘made it’ or reached that metaphorical destination, the enjoyment peace comes from the journey. So if in doubt, just go for a walk.
K x
