What do you think of when you’re on a walk?
Do you listen to music or a podcast? Do you take the time for prayer or maybe you just stress about all the things you have to do this week?
Today I was reminded of the time I forgot my earbuds when I went to the gym. I often walk on the treadmill at a local gym, especially in the winter months. I would always listen to music and then I discovered that watching TikTok videos while I walked made the time go by.
One day I forgot my earbuds and I was immediately thrown off. I was going to be alone with my thoughts for an entire 30 minutes!!!!
Lately I’ve been leaving the earbuds home while I walk the neighborhood and I try to use that time to focus on what I’m grateful for. A friend recently told me, “You are a rich man, indeed,” and I realized…she was right! I’m not financially rich but I have so many blessings in my life.
This week’s literary perusings led me to an article at Time.com.
It was titled, “Why You Should Turn Your Walk Into A Color Hunt.”
When I brought this up on the WSAR Breakfast Club my partner, Scott Reiniche, said, “Why can’t we just go for a walk?” While I agree with him on that, I found the article interesting.
The story begins by saying, “The last time you went for a walk, you might have focused on your favorite podcast, a call to your sister, or the number of calories your Apple Watch said you were burning.
Meanwhile, on a walk around her neighborhood, Kim Bernard noticed everything that was yellow.”
A “color walk” is described as a simple scavenger hunt organized around intentionally noticing a certain color and how much of it is hiding in plain sight.
It’s also a way to GET OFF YOUR PHONE!
How many of us use a walk on a beautiful day to analyze a work problem or stew over something that was said the night before instead of just enjoying the moment?
The article mentions Bridget Campbell, a content creator in California that realized she had become tethered to her phone. She said that discovering a color walk led her to a way to “get out of my mind and come back into my body, slow down and be present.” While an ordinary walk might leave her mind racing about work, looking for a particular color gave it something else to do. Basically putting everything else on mute.
Stop for a minute and realize how many things our brains are exposed to on any given day. It is astounding!
According to “Frontiers for Young Minds,” the average person consumes over 74 gigabytes of information a day. How much is that? Let’s just say A LOT!
According to a website called “Medium,” your brain generates between 50,000 and 70,000 thoughts per day! No wonder we’re so tired!
So this week I had to give it a try.
Wednesday I took my dog, Charlie, for a walk and decided I would look for anything that was blue. It took no time at all to notice the blue houses, the blue shutters, the blue cars and trucks, the blue trash and recycling bins we have in my town. I also noticed the blue on the American flag and realized I had a very patriotic neighborhood as there were a number of flags. I had never noticed that before. There was the blue sky and Charlie even had a blue leash and harness.
Was this a major discovery this week that will change my life forever? Ahh… no. But it was a way to slow down and notice what was around me as I took a momentary break from scrolling or having to have “noise” in my life.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Maybe give it a try this week.
Look for your favorite color. Appreciate the sunshine and the fresh air. Oh and the foliage? Pretty amazing this year I think.
You’ve got plenty of time for all those gigabytes. Maybe you need the break and a color walk might be just what you need.
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