Status Updates From Hope Leans Forward: Braving...

Walking seems to “solve” whatever might be holding me captive in the moment. Walking is a way to cultivate wisdom grounded in the body and alive to the environment in the moment.

One of the most beautiful ways that I know to come home to myself is through walking. Often when I am wrestling with choices and challenges, with a sense of purpose, direction, and meaning, I go outside on a long walk. I put the worries and choices aside to allow them air to breathe, to rediscover the wisdom that is already here that I cannot see or feel.

Many of us confuse goal-setting with life purpose. Having a sense of purpose contributes to meaning in life, and meaning is about what matters most to you. It guides the direction of your life, which changes over time. Living purposefully is living your values—to reflect, understand, and align your values with your actions.

You belong to you. Like ocean glass, you are formed by the world around you. You belong to the community of humans, plants, and animals that share this planet. Allow everything that comes your way, like the wind and waves that shape glass to a frosted, polished surface, to reshape your heart until you become a fuller, richer, more alive expression of you.

To belong to community and with others, we must first belong to ourselves. Accept yourself. Find yourself. Be kind to yourself, and then find others to share the feeling.