Walk Your Talk

I’m a great talker, I love words and storytelling. But I have come to understand that my greatest ‘strengths’ have a shadow side and can also be my greatest ‘weaknesses’.

I often talk more about the idea of what I’m going to do or how to do it, than actually doing it.

One of the endless conversations I have is about exercise. I live in the bush surrounded by wild beauty, exotic plants, cockatoos and rosellas, kangaroos and wallabies. I have wonderful neighbours who ride their horses or wander through by foot to say hello. I share with great animation how idyllic this lifestyle is, but rarely do the wandering or riding myself! I have at least verbally committed to a couple of ideas that would motivate me to move without it feeling like exercise. Such as walking the two kilometres to M’s to get my eggs and milk, and promising to share my Saturday newspaper by walking over and leaving it with H. Maybe now I’ve posted this I’ll feel more committed . . . and do it.

Mulling this stuff around in my mind made me think of the adage ‘Walk your Talk’ and I dreamed and talked up a great idea. What if instead of doing my coaching sessions by phone, or occasionally in a local café, I did them while walking! How great would that be . . . I never make excuses for not turning up for a client. I love my work . . . how about I walk while I do it! I could even cancel my gym fees.

So I did my first walking coaching session last Thursday. It really works. It’s great to breathe and stretch and move, in the body as well the mind. There is a beautiful balance between the head, the heart and the lungs and muscles, and it is so very refreshing to know that with every step . . . you are doing it . . . walking your talk.