This morning, I went for an unplanned walk. After dropping my daughters at school, I didn’t go straight back home to switch on my computer and get on with my daily activities, I decided to go for a little walk.
The weather was mild and the walk thoroughly enjoyable. I walked slowly, looking at the first signs of spring around me, at my neighbourhood, the houses, the gardens…
As I walked, I felt a surge of happiness and freedom growing inside me. It was almost palpable, I was suddenly feeling more alive, more joyful and all that was the result of doing something that wasn’t scheduled.
This fresh outlook on life stayed with me when I got home. Looking at the clock, I realised that I had only been walking for 10 minutes. I didn’t take long for my energy and happiness levels to be boosted by doing something on the spur of the moment.
When I thought about it, I realised that most of my days are scheduled, either through my own doing or through somebody else’s activities. Don’t get me wrong, I have time for myself most days, but even that depends on the children being in bed, the house being relatively tidy etc etc. In a way, my down time is a scheduled activity.
The only thing that I have never planned is my yoga morning routine. I do get up at the same time every day to do my yoga, but what I do is completely depending on how I feel at that moment in time. And guess what, I have never got tired of my morning yoga and – even though I have to wake up very early for it – I look forward to it every day. After years of doing it, the excitement and fun hasn’t worn off.
I had never applied this approach to my daily life. Going with the flow and letting life unfold at times wasn’t part of my ordinary but after today’s experience I intend to leave the door open for more of these “spur of the moment” activities.