It’s cold outside but the sun shines brightly. The weatherman says “it’ll look warmer today than it really is”…this comment gets filed away in the “maybe useful information but not needed right now”.
Hours pass, my attention focused on work, content to sit…I’m being productive. At least that is what I tell myself.
Afternoon arrives. I’m acutely aware that if I don’t go for a walk right now, it just won’t happen today. The children will return from school and the extracurricular activities will commence. The mental debate begins…stay and keep working…go, get outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine.
Enough, I say, just go walk. But, “it’s cold outside” said the weatherman. And then it hits me. I really “NEED” another skein of yarn for my current project. For the moment, let’s ignore the fact that I have 5 other projects on the needles right now and the “need” for this skein really could wait. But, if I walk to the yarn store I could go get this skein of yarn. That inticing skein of yarn got me out the door to walk 4 miles and embrace the beautiful sunny day. Aaahh, the power of yarn. It really was cold…of the Arctic nature.
I suppose my tale could end there but there was a delightful twist to my adventure. As I meandered through the neighborhoods taking streets I have never been down, I came upon an etching in the concrete sidewalk.
Just the reminder I needed. I used to wear a bracelet engraved with the following:
“Peace….this we choose each day”.
Every choice presents an opportunity to live a peaceful life. My struggles earlier could have easily been avoided. Just choose peace…go for the walk and avoid all the internal conflict.
A sense of calm joined me on the rest of my walk plus a skein of yarn on the return trip home. Oddly, 3 blocks from the original message, I discovered another sidewalk etched with “peace”. Perhaps it was there as a reinforcement in case I wasn’t paying attention the first time.
If you find it challenging to get out the door and go for a walk, what incentive can you give yourself?
Once out the door, what messages can you find that reinforce you made the right choice?
Feel free to leave a comment, your incentive may resonate with someone else and help them get out the door.
Knit one, walk two.