Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a nice and relaxing weekend. To those of you who are fathers or those of you who have a wonderful father in your life, I hope you had a fantastic Father’s day. 🙂

Creating a simple and meaningful life is a goal on Minimalist Mondays and for the past several weeks I have been deriving my inspiration from Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book.. Today’s pearl of wisdom from the book: Take a Stroll.

No doubt about it, I love to walk. Morning, evening, afternoon, it doesn’t matter. Mention a walk and I am almost always ready to go. There is nothing quite like a walk to clear the mind and sooth the soul. When it comes to living a more simplistic life style, walking  can be an easy way to add more meaning and pleasure to your life.

Ways walking can enhance your life:

Walking can help clear your mind. Try taking a walk when you need to make an important decision or sort things out. You will find stepping out the door and getting some fresh air will help you think more clearly.

Walking helps build a sense of community with your neighbors. Talking walks in your neighborhood gets you out where the people are.. You will find that you are surrounded by many fascinating people with interesting stories to tell. You may also find that there are areas of your neighborhood you want to stay away from and that is important information to know about where you live as well.

Walking can inspire you for your yard and garden projects. Take the time and look at other people’s lawns and gardens. You will find ideas that will inspire you to try something new in your own yard. When I lived in an apartment I used to look at people’s balconies and patios for container and hanging basket ideas. I still miss my little balcony . It was a peaceful place. Now days I love looking at other neighbors yards to see how they use space and how they use plants and trees to increase shade and reduce water usage.

Walking allows you to explore and observe things that go by too quickly in a car. You can drive down the same streets day after day for years but I guarantee you if you take a day and walk those streets you will see birds, trees, flower boxes, fountains,  and window displays you have never seen before. It will give you a whole new prospective of the place you live and work.

Walking can be a good time to connect with a friend or significant other. I love the image of a man and woman walking hand in hand. It can be a beach or country road; it really doesn’t matter. The image speaks more than words ever  could. It is truly romantic. As for friends, well, I could walk and talk with a friend for hours.

Walking can be a much-needed break from a stressful situation. Life is stressful. We have all heard or said the words ” I need to go for a walk” when things are about to explode. It is an unfortunate fact of life that sometimes situations can become very intense when dealing with events in our lives or with others. Fortunately, stepping out and taking a walk often keeps us from saying things that we will later regret and gives us a chance to look at the situation from a more objective point of view.

Walking gets you in touch with nature. Of course, hiking or walking in the country allows us to walk in nature but nature is everywhere, even in a city or town. Trees, wild life, plants, and ponds are around us everyday. Take the time to enjoy the old oak tree in the city park or the butterfly in the garden. Sometimes you may even see a fox or an owl in town.

Walking is a low impact exercise with many health benefits. Walking burns calories, strengthens muscles, improves blood circulation,  and helps to elevate mood just to name of its many benefits.

Walking is free! Perfect for a minimalist lifestyle or anyone on a budget. 🙂

So put on a pair of comfortable shoes and step out your front door. The world is waiting for you to explore and there is nothing like exploring one relaxing step at a time.

As always, I would love to hear from you! Do you walk on a regular basis? Where are your favorite places to walk? Did you ever make an interesting discovery while walking?

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Until next time,

Laura