Joy of the Morning

Heat soaked asphalt, roar of vehicles tumbling through lines and curves and arid skies filled my senses. Too loud to hear the birds, a podcast or a conversation, the sidewalk led to a crosswalk across 5 lanes of traffic.

What a relief to cross back into the park with the dappled shadows of rustling leaves. As the cool breeze tempered the shaded sidewalk, the geese gathered and the birds scattered. Walking to the store I enjoyed the pleasures that many people miss.

From the climate controlled closed vehicles rushing to their destinations, we miss the joy of the morning. I used to think it was a long walk to the store and something to be avoided whenever possible. Now I find it a privilege to have the opportunity to walk.

60 minutes walking

Environment

Walking through the neighborhood, I see trees, green grass, a neighborhood park and lake. The community is making the effort to work with the existing natural environment while developing a neighborhood. People continue to litter and faithful neighbors clean it up. Although there is a good deal of thoughtlessness and abuse of the environment, I am optimistic about the future and the young people who are making a difference. As statistician Nic Marks says in the Happy Planet Index video, that if we invest in our relationships, get outside and walk, and give to others, we can make a happy planet. With all of the apocalyptic movies and news, it is refreshing to notice all the good we are doing, and then do more of it. Live in joy rather than fear, look around you, and share your blessings.

I'm so impressed with the way my family respects nature and the environment. We walk, recycle, and take care of the environment as much as possible. My daughters inspire me when they reuse and recycle. They both use cloth diapers and avoid disposable plates and napkins most of the time. I remember a time when realized I could afford the convenience of paper plates, plastic bags for everything, and disposable utensils. I did away with the annoying dish washing and laundering napkins and dish towels. We had paper and plastic! Then came the realization that there wouldn't be room for all of the garbage if we just kept throwing everything away.

Now we try to make a difference by learning to reuse and recycle. Habits are difficult to change, but when the heart if there, good things happen.

20 minutes walking

Sidewalk Calling

For seven years I've often walked with my little dog, Pepper. There's nothing more energizing on a walk than to see the excitement of a dog who literally "lights up" when it's time to go out. Walking with Pepper, I learned to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of nature and all the adventures in walking. Besides the walk, there is the socializing that often comes with walking a dog. Someone would ask what kind of dog he is, a child would want to pet him, and no one could resist his little dog smile. I wrote this poem about walking with Pepper, not because I am a poet, but because walking is poetry.

Sidewalk Calling

A band of bushes
Playing in the breeze
Sidewalk calling
What a tease
Adventure lies ahead.

The musty aroma of dust
Dancing with the tracks
Of life that stumbled through it
But concrete masks its footprints
Telling few secrets.

A breeze
Pungent
Clear
Taking and giving
Then blowing away.

Pepper on a lead
Head high
Poised and panting
Electric energy
Pulsing through the leash.

As the little dog passes
The wonders of nature
To a master lost in thoughts
Awakened to a world
Alive and thriving.

30 minutes walking

Intuition

I've always found it difficult to just sit down and write, but since I have been outdoors walking, observing nature, and using my sense, I am tapping into my intuitive side. I can see the difference in my writing. I don't have to have everything planned out. I often don't know what I am going to say, I just start writing and let it flow.

30 minutes walking

Geese, birds, and Fish

Have you ever thought about starting a business? Do you wonder if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? There are online quizzes, business books, and the Small Business Administration who can tell you whether or not you are a natural entrepreneur. But there are as many different types of entrepreneurs as there are people.

As I walk through the park, I notice the birds foraging for building material, geese diving for fish or nibbling the surface greenery. They find food, make their homes, and travel. They gather, store, and build. They take charge of their needs.

It's easy to wait by the phone for that magic phone call. A client, customer, or employer who wants your skills and is willing to pay for them. More often, we need to act as our own boss. In her book, "Become the CEO of You, Inc." executive Susan Bulkeley Butler says, "Make things happen for you, don't just let them happen to you." Just as the geese, birds, and fish forage for food and shelter, we need to go out and search for opportunities. Whether you work for yourself or someone else, you will do well to think of yourself as an entrepreneur.

30 minutes walking

Family

I always enjoy a walk about with family. I often run into my daughter while taking a walk, and occasionally have a chance to take a long walk with her. We enjoy talking about the baby and all of the latest baby gear, her career, and her jewelry designs. It is a challenging time for young families with all of the uncertainties in work right now. It's more important than ever for families to support each other whenever they can. She is blessed with a great job where she can use her natural strengths to help others while balancing her family life. I am glad to be part of her support system.

Families are often the primary network and support systems for entrepreneurs and employees. When family members respect each other and have clear lines of communication as ours does, we can trade off using our natural talents to help each other. I have the opportunity to spend some time watching my grandson while my daughter teaches a class. She is an excellent editor who helps me with my writing. My youngest daughter designed a logo for my business cards, and my husband takes photographs for my website and other projects. We've always spent time walking together. Walking outdoors is often our best time to communicate, share ideas, and events of the day.

60 minutes walking

Tell What You Do

I had a very enjoyable walk with a successful entrepreneur who told me about what she does. It can be difficult to explain in a brief conversation what you do. In my work, I often get clients through referrals or with people who have read my blogs. They just say they like what I do, what I wrote, or what I said. Easy! But explaining what I do to someone I don't know is a whole different story.

Walking and talking is an excellent way to talk about your business. Just enough real time distractions while taking a relaxing walk. My walk went very quickly as I listened to an entrepreneur talk about why she decided to become an associate for a company and product she respects. I trust this entrepreneur because she is a friend and sister with integrity. Sharing with friends and family through walking, lunches, and conversation focused on the product and business are the easiest ways to market a product or service.

At some point, most of us need to move beyond the familiar to grow our businesses. That is the time we need to start thinking about our marketing strategies. Do I want to go to networking meetings, associations, socials, Chamber of Commerce meetings to let people know about my business? Will cold calling produce results? How much should I spend on advertising?

These are excellent subjects for discussion on a Walk About U!

60 minutes walking