A mere two days ago, I told a client of mine that I don’t get overwhelmed all that often anymore. And, at the time, this statement was perfectly true. I generally focus on what I’m inspired to do right now, and get a remarkable amount done. But even as the words came out of my mouth, I thought to myself that overwhelm would probably come knocking on my door sooner rather than later. Sure enough, the very next day one of my projects left me feeling like my head was spinning. For every detail I took care of, three more appeared. It was exhausting and disheartening – and definitely overwhelming!

I followed my instincts and got myself outside, away from my PC and into the fresh air. I live in the city, so nature isn’t immediately accessible to me. But we do have a canal that runs for miles and miles only a short distance from my house. There is no traffic, and the path along the canal is dirt. It’s a great place to walk when I need to clear my head.

When I first started walking in my state of overwhelm and exasperation, I was hurried, needing to get somewhere. My eyes were fixed into the distance, to the cross-street that’s my usual turn-around point. But then I stumbled across some rocks, and I had to look down and watch my step. Then I decided to watch the next step. And the next. I disconnected my gaze from the distance, and forced myself to look at the ground right in front of me, to watch my foot step onto that piece of the path. And then I looked at the next little bit of earth that my other foot would shortly step onto.

As I focused my attention on each upcoming step – quite literally, with my head down and staring at the ground – a remarkable thing happened. My pace slowed and became steady, without hurry. My body relaxed. My breath became easier. I did in walking what I couldn’t manage to do while I was working, which was to focus only on what was right in front of me. And when I finally did look up to get my bearings, I had traveled a remarkable distance.

Sometimes we struggle to regain control of our focus. Like an unruly child, the mind wants to dart here and there, leaving us exhausted. Instead of fighting our mental state and trying to impose discipline on our disorganized thoughts, we can externalize the issue at hand. A simple activity such as walking can teach our mind to be present on the next step – just by looking at our feet when we walk.

The next time you find yourself leaping into the future and becoming overwhelmed, try this out for yourself. It doesn’t have to be over a great distance. And please don’t run into anything! But try watching each step as you take it. With each step, you may well find yourself becoming more present, more focused, and more available to what is right in front of you.  Post a comment and share what you discover!

Blessings,
Andrea

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Filed under: Embrace Your Highest Path and Purpose • Meditation and Awakening Consciousness • Spiritual Development

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