34: Time for a walk

I’m home alone watching a baby and a dog on a beautiful summer weekend. What should I do? It’s a good time for a walk.

Jordan and I just came home from a long day of work and we need to decompress. What should we do? It’s a good time for a walk.

I’m meeting with a colleague, and we need to step out of the office to talk through some important matters. What should we do? It’s a good time for a walk.

And it’s the middle of the week, and I’ve hit serious writer’s block. So what should I do? It’s a good time for a walk.

I don’t know the clinical science behind walking, but I’ve found that some of my greatest conversations, best thinking, deepest connections, and least stressful moments are experienced with the street at my feet and/or the stroller in my control.

And no, Steve, I am not at the point where I count walking as a legitimate workout.

And yes, Chris, I did bump the “Prospecting Part 2” reflection for another two weeks to write about walking.

But the truth is, as I walked with Charlie and Riley on Sunday evening, I thought about what to write this week for the reflection. I struggled to come up with anything, but at least the walk was relaxing and refreshing.

Then, feeling great, I thought about how great the walk was the day before on the Wissahickon Trail with Charlie and my friends’ Jim and Kristen Reid. I thought about the powerful walking meetings I would take with my teammates at work. I thought about the refreshing CFP study break walks that I would take leading up to the exam. I thought about the romantic beach walks with Jordan, the fun campus walks at Penn State, and the post pre-game bar walks with friends in Philly. I thought about the thousands of other walks in which important conversations, connections, memories, or ideas were created. And I thought, this feeling is worth writing about.

So if you have a stroller or a dog or some stress or someone you want to talk with or a thousand thoughts to sort through, it’s probably a good time for a walk. Give me a call if you want company.