Take-20.com

It’s been a long time since I’ve written an article for this site, and I must say that I’ve missed writing here. A LOT. I feel like I owe you all an explanation of what I’ve been doing for the last 7 months of my life. It’s proven to be quite eventful, and it’s an interesting story indeed (at least I think it is).

Before I get started, I want to share with you my future plans for this blog. I will no longer be focusing on sharing “self-improvement” tips with my readers. Instead, I want this blog to serve as a compendium of insights, realizations, and experiences I’ve acquired over the course of my exploration into the furthest reaches of my inner-self.

True Self-Improvement

You may be wondering, why the shift? It’s simple, really. I’ve realized that the modern day interpretation of the term “self-improvement” isn’t accurate at all. People think that by reading articles on a blog, or by reading a book they can gain the knowledge necessary to affect permanent positive change on their lives. Through my experience, I’ve learned this not to be true. While reading about a concept may give you an intellectual understanding of it, reading can’t give you the experiential understanding of it. This is the missing ingredient in self-improvement resources today. They promise lasting change and the life of your dreams, but what they forget to tell you is that intellectually grasping a concept is only 50% of the work involved, and that’s all they have to offer.

The articles I will be posting on this blog from now on will be designed to convey what most other personal development resources out there overlook. I aim to give you invaluable experiential knowledge by allowing you to access my deepest realizations, insights, and experiences. I want you to feel as though you are there with me on my journey, seeing what I see, and feeling what I feel. This will allow you to understand where my realizations and insights came from, and will theoretically allow you to gain insights into your own life situation. I will be as honest and authentic as possible, and I will tell the story to the best of my recollection in order to truly communicate the energy of every situation.

I can’t promise I will post every day, or even every week. I’ve realized I’m a very inspiration driven kind of guy (aren’t we all?). I’m not even 100% sure I will able to accomplish my goal of transmitting experiential knowledge, but I’ll certainly do my best. I hope you all enjoy what I do with this blog, and I hope that through my writing I can inspire a few of you to start your own journey of self-exploration. The path is surely the road less traveled by, yet it is the road that yields the most valuable treasure along the way.

Until next time.

One month ago, on a random Sunday, I was sitting at my desk as usual writing an article for this site. That night I wasn’t thinking clearly, and words weren’t coming easily to me. I was feeling stressed out and frustrated by the situation. Somewhere in the midst of my frustration, I got up, threw on a sweater (yes, it gets cold here in Texas occasionally) and walked out of my apartment. I didn’t know where I was headed, but I knew I was going for a walk.

Prior to this random Sunday, I had never taken a walk before, and I never understood why people always recommended going for a walk. Essentially, I was acting on an impulse by deciding to take a walk. This turned out to be one of the greatest decisions I’ve made in my life. I’ve since found a place of refuge in nature that I can access simply by taking a walk anytime I’m feeling stressed out by the demands of every day life.

If you’ve never taken a walk, let me be the first to tell you that you’re missing out on something great. However, before you decide to go out and take a walk to find out for yourself what all the hype is about, take a few minutes to learn how to get the most out of your walks by reading the rest of this article.

Let it work for you

In order for your walks to be truly beneficial, you must allow the wonder of nature to work for you. What do I mean when I say this? I mean you must allow yourself to become fully absorbed in the present moment as you take your walk. Many people take walks, and then completely ignore the nature around them because they are so caught up with the thoughts running through their head. I’ll admit I was one of these people when I first started taking walks. On my first night, I figured I would go outside, think about what I needed to write about, and the walk will have served its purpose. Instead, I found this to be as frustrating and stressful as sitting in my room staring at the computer screen. I might as well have just stayed at home.

I soon discovered that the value of taking a walk lies in our ability to allow ourselves to become fully absorbed in the wonder of nature around us. While you’re walking, force yourself into the present moment by focusing on everything and anything in your environment. This is similar to meditation, but I find it to be easier because there are so many different objects you can focus your attention on. I personally love to listen to the trees rustle in the wind, and look up at the stars. I also love taking walks at night. There’s something about the dark that makes nature that much more enchanting. No matter what your personal preference, the important thing is to let yourself get lost in nature while you take your walks.

The benefits

I won’t go in depth with the specific benefits that can be attained by becoming a regular walker, because I believe that for each individual the benefits will be different. Some people may experience peace and serenity when they walk, while others may experience a feeling of invigoration. Walks may become your refuge from the stresses of daily life, or they could become your source of creative brilliance.

No matter what the specific benefits, taking a walk will help you become a more grateful individual. As you take notice of the beauty that surrounds you, you will develop a deeper appreciation for the gift of nature. Developing gratitude for nature is one of the best ways to make gratitude your permanent state of being.

The next step

The next time you’re feeling frustrated or stressed out, take a walk. While you’re on your walk, allow yourself to become fully absorbed in the present moment, and observe the grandeur of the nature that surrounds you. At first you may experience some difficulty ridding your mind of thought, but over time it will become easier to maintain your focus. And as you become more accustomed to this process, you will develop a deeper appreciation for the gift of nature. Continue down this path, and gratitude is sure to become your permanent state of being.

Have any additional tips, comments or suggestions? Please leave them in the comments section below. I’m interested in hearing what you have to say!

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