Move to find stillness.
And if not stillness, then at least insight.
The list of what has been accomplished on walks is almost comically illustrative of this point.
Nietzsche said the ideas inThus Spoke Zarathustracame to him on a long walk.
And this is only a small sampling of what we can directly attribute to walking.
Darwins daily scheduleincluded several walks.
Charles Dickensoften walked as much as 20 miles per day!
When I was 24, I broke my elbow after a fall from my bike.
The break was painful and required a sling for something like six weeks, which made writing particularly difficult.
I also wasnt going to be getting on a bike again anytime soon.
To prevent myself from going stir-crazy, I started going on long walks.
Late at night before bed.
But as they went onand the distances grew longerwalking grew on me.
I came to notice and love the beauty of the city I had moved to.
I also found that words forthe book that I was writingseemed to just flow into my head from nowhere.
Even difficulties I was having in my relationship started to feel less serious, and solutions followed.
It was exactly as Thoreau said, the moment my legs begin to move my thoughts begin to flow.
By the time my arm healed, I was a convert.
I was a walker.
As much as I could, whenever I could, especially when I was stuck.
I even walkwhen I have phone calls to door if I show up somewhere early.
But it should be said that walking thoughts are usually a different kind of thought.
They are not the racing thoughts of the worried mind.
Or the distracted thoughts of the workplace mind.
They are, as many walkers attest, more naturally reflective, calmer and contemplative.
In a notoriously loud city like ancient Rome, it was impossible to get much peace and quiet.
There is evidence that memory and the mind function differently on the move.
Researchers at Stanfordhave found thatwalkers performer better on tests that measure creative divergent thinking during and after their walks.
And a 20 year study found that walking five miles a weekprotects the brainsof people suffering from Alzheimers.
But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill.
Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.
Like I said, its a paradox.
Move to find stillness.
And if not stillness, then at least insight.
Certainly this piece wouldnt have been possible without a walk or two.
And since I need to start the next one, its time to leave for another walk.
I hope you will take one too.
