Changing the Rhythym of Your Life
Changing the Rhythm of Your Life
Sometimes a person just wants to be alone, to dream, to collect your thoughts, to calm your nerves, or to work through what to do about your problems. Taking a brisk walk can provide such an opportunity, especially if there is little or no traffic around to distract your mind or to interrupt the flow of your movement. This past Sunday morning found me walking on a forest service road near our cabin in northern
After only a few minutes of walking I felt more at peace, more capable of facing the world upon my return. I let my mind wander while I inhaled the scents of the forest and the swamp I passed. From time to time I would notice small things like a flitting bird, the light scratching sound of breeze flowing over the loose bark of a paper birch tree or the pleasing symmetry of a particular fern plant, but mostly I relished the calm feeling I had.
When I neared the cabin again I realized that I was sweating, there were flies in my hair and that I had smeared a few mosquitoes on my arms and on my face. Not the best look for me, I suppose, but looking a mess was worth it for the peace of mind I experienced.
In the not too distant past, I would try to calm or numb myself with food when I felt unsettled, brooding between trips from the couch to the fridge or pantry. I would feel a little better for a short time and then a lot worse as self-loathing thoughts would overwhelm me. That cycle of lethargy, overeating and self-loathing became the very rhythm of my life, a veritable funeral dirge to which I was marching. In the 2+ years since my weight loss surgery, I have managed to substantially change that rhythm and I am much happier most days now than I used to be. I still go through rough patches when I feel lower than snake droppings, but those dissonant periods are no longer defining or limiting my life. I have found one of the secrets for sustaining my will to live and it was just outside my door.
RP
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