Your New Favorite Habit

Last night, my girlfriend and I wandered the rain-soaked streets of New York City. We had travelled north towards midtown to complete a few quick errands, but once we finished, we just wandered.

No rules for ourselves–no directions in mind–we turned away no turn.

As we ambled, I thought about the power of making time to wander. By actively creating space to experience the spontaneous circumstances around us, we had rid ourselves of the urgency with which so many of us rush through our lives.

I often think of the busyness we all embody and internalize on a daily basis. Are there more habitual ways we can find small moments in our lives–like this one I found myself in last night–in which we give ourselves permission to slow down and experience the spontaneous?

If you take nothing else from this post, take this: Create a goal for yourself to find twenty minutes this week to just wander. It could be after dinner one night around your neighborhood, or a lunchtime walk around the block, or even a stroll at dawn before the city rises.

Whatever your mind is filled with regularly, these slower moments–if only for a moment–give you a license to leave that behind and experience motion meditation.

See you tomorrow.