She Leads from Within: Intuitive Thought Leadership--Steps in the Rain (Part 6)

As you would imagine, some walks were absolutely beautiful; some were not. A couple days were so stormy, my umbrella blew inside out. Other days were hot and I sweated. Some days were so cold I wore tights and an extra sweater underneath my coat with handwarmers inside my gloves, muffs on my ears. There were days the rain left me drenched, even using an umbrella. Several days I had to tell myself, “It’s just forty minutes,” and then repeat it again and again throughout my walk.

How often I needed to remind myself saying, “it's just forty minutes.” Whether walking or making my way through the day.

For all of us, there are times when we think, I can’t do this. I don’t want to do this. A difficult work assignment looms large. A challenging call needs to be made. And then there’s that meeting you’d really like to postpone. Better yet, cancel. But rain-soaked moments can motivate us in ways not expected.

No one wants to wade through the difficult, the uncomfortable, the torrential downpours in life. I’d rather my day unfolded calmly, predictably, latte at my side. A popular sports brand wants us to “just do it,” but some days I just don’t want to. I want to avoid it, cancel it, pretend it’s not there. Walking in the rain and the wind—and when it’s a little warmer than I’d like—has given me an extra measure of emotional fortitude when life takes a turn. Sometimes it’s navigating bumps in the road, sometimes it’s when all I want to do is eat something, anything, everything, and flush away the anxiety, uncertainty, and irritations.

When I was small, my mom would ask that I count to ten when upset. Perhaps your mom did too. My walks have become an adult version of her encouragement. My walks help me to push the “pause” button on the day. My walks give me time to clear my head, organize my thoughts, and on occasion, calm down. I have time to be sad and angry, happy and content. I can just be with my feelings, rather than grab a simple carb. Now I grab a little time.

Outside.

In the fresh air.

Some days I’ll walk early, giving me some time to prepare for what’s to come. Some days I’ll walk mid-day or later in the day, giving me time to process what’s been.