A short post this week!

I’ve been on my weekend walk this morning. I meet up with a close friend every weekend and we stroll for an hour, get some fresh air, get some exercise, walk the dogs, and generally chew the fat about life, the universe, and everything. It’s really important to me and one of my favourite routines of the week.

The reservoir we walk around is picturesque – I frequently post pictures of it on Facebook, particularly when I’m able to catch a stunning sunrise. The walk back to the car is a few minutes down this path:

I usually walk this stretch with my mind racing about what I’m going to do for the rest of the day, paying little attention to what’s around me. Yet, today, for some reason, I decided to stop for a minute or two and just look around – something I haven’t done in months. And, lo-and-behold, it’s a stunning view. To the right, the reservoir. Ahead of me, the rolling hills leading up to Rivington. To the left of me, green fields stretching their way to the town where I live.

It wasn’t a particularly stunning morning today. The ground was largely sodden following all the rain this week. The sky was a little murky, rather than being crystal clear. Yet, despite that, just standing for a couple of minutes and taking in the views was calming. It made me question why I don’t do it every week. It also made me question why I don’t do it elsewhere in life. It doesn’t have to be picturesque scenes such as these – it can be any setting. The street where I live. The town centre / urban areas. The train station on the commute into work. There’s so much to see everywhere and yet so many of us charge around, thinking about what we’re doing next, or glued to a phone screen. Try to change that if you can. Every now and again, regardless of where you are, stop for a minute. Take a look around. Soak it all in. Notice what is happening around you. It’s pretty much guaranteed that there’ll be something of interest to look at. Plus, that slightly slower pace, if only for a minute or two, must be beneficial.

Best wishes.

Mick