Reflections on Positive Changes: Part One - Tool Three: Walking

Life is a marathon not a sprint. This truth is often lost on me. Yes, I am one of those people who works out and eats right for a week then immediately steps on the scale and expects to be 10 lbs lighter. Not exactly realistic. Sigh.

Even more discouraging is to realize that you have gained a pound after all your hard work. I lifted weights several times in the last two weeks. I know from experience that when body fat percentage is going down and muscle is going up, the number on the scale tends to go up as well for a while. But that doesn’t make it any easier. I just keep trying to tell myself, small positive life changes lead to a healthier existence over time. Marathon, right, I got it.

While I am waiting for that blasted scale to become my friend again, I continue to focus on this book The Writing Diet and the tools Julia Cameron is suggesting. The assignment for this week was to walk 20 minutes every day by myself. She says it is not just for physical health (which is a key part of walking every day), but to continue the theme of active meditation. As I walk I am supposed to let the scenery inspire me to art and beauty, to listen to that inner voice speaking about my priorities and my life concerns and to open my ears to the voice of my Creator who wishes to guide my path.

As the stress of the week unfolded, my twenty minute breaks became a welcome retreat. In the midst of the Oregon rain and sometimes blustery winds I chose to walk. Just stretching my legs and breathing the fresh air often was enough to awaken my mood. As I walked, mental clarity became my companion. And as I took a long hard look in the metaphorical mirror, I found that the most important mirror in my life is not the one that shows that extra 20 pounds. It is the one that reveals my inner character.