The Outdoors are Calling
Do you find yourself spending an inordinate amount of time inside? Are you so wrapped up within the confines of your hectic lifestyle? Have you have deprived yourself of the freedom found though the act of “stopping to smell the roses”?
Without even realizing it, we can become prisoners stuck in our busy, daily routines. Many have sentenced themselves to spend the majority of their days and nights inside. They are inside their automobiles, inside the place of employment, inside their vehicle again, inside an entertainment hot spot, inside a restaurant, back inside their car yet again, and inside their house. I don’t think that anyone is immune from being caught up in the craziness and complexity that would appear to be a natural part of life these days. There is a sense that being busy in and of itself, brings some sort of sense of accomplishment. I believe that our minds, our bodies, and our spirits long for something much different. We naturally desire to be released from this societal captivity. While racing around just to complete a long list of tasks may be appealing to some, I believe most people wish they could be released from the complexity of lives spent inside “jail cells” of their own creating. “Today’s complexity demands greater simplicity.” ( L. Tom Perry)
I have a simple solution which is applicable to all.
Stop and get outside!
I don’t think I need to remind you of what you’ll find waiting there. Remember the fresh air and sunshine or gentle breeze blowing through your hair? Recall the extraordinary sights, sounds, and smells of the great outdoors. Some may agree, yes indeed, happiness is being outside. Others may contend that becoming one with nature is the key to a longer life. I would offer to you that creating opportunities to spend more time outdoors with family and friends, or just by oneself, greatly enriches the quality of our lives.
Think back to the days of your youth. Did you ever want to be trapped inside? If you were anything like me, the answer is a resounding “No!” If recess or playground time were considered a class, it was my favorite as a kid. I think back with great fondness on long days of playing anywhere, biking everywhere, and never wanting to go home. Well, except to eat my mom’s delicious cooking, of course. Sure, I also enjoyed engaging in outdoor sports.
For some of you, the connection to the great outdoors may have been found in fishing. For others, it may have been simply been going barefoot in the lush grass. How about strolling in the sand on the beach near the lake or ocean? Remember how peaceful you were and how awesome that felt. Still others may recall the fun of swimming in those bodies of water. Perhaps it may have been a backyard pool that transformed you into a fish. I’m certain that many of you spent fun-filled times camping. Far removed from the city, there was so much to discover. Looking up into the night skies at the stars comes into my mind. My eyes were opened to the stark contrast which the woods or country offered compared to the city life.
We cannot exactly bring back our youthful experiences. However, we need to build some new outdoor memories. I know that if we spend just a little bit more time outside today our minds will be more clear. I believe that we will all feel so much better if we attempt to find something outdoors that we can do on this day, regardless of our age or current physical condition.
If you agree with my advice, yet feel that you are being held back, let me help you to discover an activity in which you can participate today. Let me help to break those chains which bind you to that sedentary, indoor lifestyle that has inflicted many in the world. Getting physically fit does not require all your time to be spent indoors in a gym. Let’s get moving outdoors!