CALL TO ACTION: INTO THE DEEP

Based on my recent findings in regards to a happier and balanced life, I moved forward with a couple of goals within the physical area. I live in a city where walking is not practical and everything requires the use of a car; in fact, when people are seen walking down the street in certain areas, without any form of fitness attire, they are considered a rarity.

With the above limitation in mind, I made a resolution to go from my house to a nearby trail so that I could at least walk for a couple of miles everyday. Recently, I had scheduled breakfast with my one of my sisters to celebrate her birthday, and all of a sudden I came up with a brilliant idea. Instead of meeting her at a place that required 20 minutes of driving, I told her we could meet at a nearby European cafe which requires a seven minute drive. I put on some workout clothes and I set off walking for about 50 minutes........

In order to get there, I had to pass the trail I mentioned earlier; the one I had been meaning to hit every morning, and all of a sudden, I realized what a great thing I had been missing. The walk was beautiful and the pace immediately made me breath deeper; which is so necessary in order to keep stress levels down. Once I arrived into the cafe, I felt wonderful and proud of myself; it was an immediate boost in many ways. I had taken with me one of my favorite accessories, a scarf, so all I had to do was throw it on and I looked perfectly beautiful for breakfast.

It was great to spend time with my sister and we had a great time. She drove me home so I could take a shower and have enough time for the rest of my to do list, but that day I realized that my goal to walk to the trail and back was a very realistic one, and later that day I was able to have an even bigger idea. I realized that I could not only benefit physically during my walks, but also spiritually.

A while ago, while listening to the song 'Just Breath' by Anna Nalick, I realized that I could somehow change the lyrics into 'Just Pray', since my desire is, that just like breathing, we all have the opportunity to turn prayer into second nature and that throughout the day we are mindful of the many spiritual gifts we are given and live in relation to something more transcendent. Based on this earlier reflection, I was able to arrive to the conclusion that just as there is need for deeper breathing with some form of exercise, there is also the need to take the time for deeper prayer and meditation, and my perfect way to solve this is to walk and pray every morning, so that little by little; both my breathing and prayer turn ever deeper, and help me to become a more beautiful version of myself.

lovely image found via pinterest (original source unknown)