I Walk Slowly

What’s The Rush?

Every morning on the way to the office, I walk for about fifteen minutes through the city.  It’s a nice chance to stretch the legs, get the blood flowing, and get a little sun on my face before being at a desk all day.

But it’s more than that.  It’s a chance to set a pace for the day.  A mental pace.  A spiritual pace.

I see lots of other people walking to work, and many of them are walking as fast as they possibly can.  Why?  Are they stressed out about the day ahead and letting their inner anxiousness reflect in their physical movement?  Are they going to be late?  And if they’re late, why didn’t they just get up a few minutes earlier?

Maybe some just like to walk fast and I get that, but to me it seems like a great way to start the day wound up and in a hurry for no reason.  And I notice that I almost always catch up to them standing at stoplights anyhow.  So they don’t actually make it to work faster.  Or maybe they get there a whopping minute or two earlier.

Even though I can move faster at top end speed than the vast majority of people if and when I want to, walking slowly is my choice.  I never shuffle my feet, and my strides are long and purposeful.  But I pay attention to the pace and ensure it’s putting my mind in the correct state.

I get to the office feeling relaxed.  I’m ready to deal with any stress thrown my way with a nice calm demeanor.  I can cruise through a ton of work without giving myself a mental wedgie.

It’s All About Being Conscious

We can all mindlessly go through the motions of our day to day and let the rigors of life build up inside of us to the point that it results in bad posture, headaches, poor sleep, etc.

Or we can be conscious at all times of how we move through the world, how we hold ourselves, how we react to the things we encounter.

The benefits are too numerous to mention here.  But several come to mind.

When I walk slowly and develop a relaxed mind, I put out that energy.  And then other people sense it from me and I put them more at ease.  They are less likely to bring their stress to me because they can tell I won’t absorb it.

So I’m far less likely to react to people.  If someone comes to me with anxious energy, I see it and essentially create a barrier around myself.  I hear their message but I don’t let their energy affect me.  And then I respond to them in a calm and logical manner.

By being relaxed, I avoid a lot of the health issues that come from stress as well.  I don’t get headaches, I don’t get exhausted, and my mind doesn’t spiral out of control which keeps my cortisol levels in check.  I’m able to breathe properly and make sure my posture is straight and upright.

Generally speaking I don’t get derailed from my real missions in life by the dumb shit we all have to sort through sometimes.

And it all started that morning with a conscious decision about how I walk.

Again, if walking fast is your thing more power to you.  The real overarching point is being mindful of your movement.  Pay attention to the details when walking, and one begins to pay attention to details in other parts of life.

I Walk Slowly In My Free Time Too

I like a calm mind in my free time too.  It’s no different on non-work days.  It’s an attitude thing.  People with a funky groove pulsing through their bones don’t walk like they’re on a constant series of deadlines.  They walk like they set their own deadlines and are the masters of their own destinies.  They’ll get there when they get there.  This shows self mastery.

Be An Example

Give walking slowly a try.  You won’t be the only one out there, but in my experience you’ll be in the minority and will be moving against the grain in a sense.  Watching others scurry to their cubicles while you take life at your own pace.  Like a master.  I see it as a small step towards claiming personal sovereignty.  And every step counts (pun intended).