Gratitude walking found my feet after I watched Julio Olalla talk about an encounter with gratitude that changed his life.
The instructions read, “Sit quietly. Turn the lights off and allow Amo’s’ spirit to awaken yours.” So I did.
Then I walked a river trail nearby. I walk there several times a week but am often lost in thought. This time I was fully present. I felt grateful for the body that enabled me to:
- Walk
- Hear the chorus of bird songs and cricket harmonies
- See the landscape’s lush greens and spacious blue sky
- Feel the sun’s warmth on my skin
- Feel my heart expand with gratitude
- Smile
This is how gratitude walking was born.
I thought it was worth sharing and rushed home to write this for you.
Your Tuesday Morning
Your alarm rings at 5:00 AM.
5:45 – You respond to important emails
6:15 – You’re on a conference call with the Asia team
6:45 – You wake your son and daughter. Prepare breakfast. Remind them repeatedly to get a move on. Drive them to school and head to work
7:30 – Traffic is at a standstill. You drum your fingers on the steering wheel in frustration, thinking about all the work you’re not getting done. You feel that familiar tight band of stress above your brow. It extends to the back of your head, down your neck and into your shoulders.
7:45 – You mentally prepare for a 9:30 meeting to address critical customer issues. You reach for your phone to review relevant emails and, of course, traffic starts moving.
8:45 – You arrive at work. The parking lot is under repair. It takes an extra 5 minutes to get to another lot.
9:00 – You open your lap top and find 100 additional emails since you left home.
9:10 – You start writing a performance review that’s due next week.
STOP!!
Try Gratitude Walking Instead
Move your chair away from the desk. Take 3 deep breaths. Feel your body relax with each out breath.
Bring to mind a time when someone did something you appreciated. Recall what they did and how you felt. Notice the physical sensations that accompany your gratitude. The area around your heart might expand. It might become warm or soft. Maybe you find a slight smile at the mouth or the eyes.
When we smile, our feel good neurotransmitters, dopamine, endorphins and serotonin, are released. These are the good guys that relax our body and lower our blood pressure.
Get up from the chair and start gratitude walking. Thank your body for allowing you to experience life. Be grateful for your eyes that see and ears that hear. Notice your attention drifting away. Lead it back to what’s here now. Do this gently, as if training a puppy to walk on a leash. Return to noticing what there is to grateful for.
- Hearing people say good morning
- Being in a safe and comfortable space
- Smelling the coffee
- Feeling the sun’s warmth
Does your heart feel lighter, more expansive? Are you smiling? Do you sense a smile in your heart as well?
Where Attention Goes, the Mind Follows
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” —Thich Nhat Hanh
Without this kind of intentional attention, our brains drift to troubled waters. We worry about things that may happen in the future. We review what went poorly in the past. We miss the sensations of standing in the sun’s light and smelling the coffee.
As you enter the room for your 9:30 meeting, look around. These are your people, your tribe. Be grateful each of them arrived safely. Be grateful they’re here, working with you, to make things better.
If you have a moment, I’d be grateful to hear how the meeting went.