Are You Celebrating World Sauntering Day?
Did you know that June 19th is World Sauntering Day? The Public Speaker explains how to stop the glorification of busy and love the life you have today by changing the way you communicate with yourself.
Lisa B. Marshall
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Are You Celebrating World Sauntering Day?
Saunter. I love this word. Saunter means to walk at a leisurely gait. To stroll. It shares a definition with words like amble, ramble, and meander. These words remind us to slow down and enjoy life..
As the Public Speaker, communication is my area of expertise and usually on this show I talk about better ways to communicate with other people. However, today I’d like to talk about something different. I’d like to talk about communicating with ourselves. In order to be successful, it is equally important to consider the messages we communicate to ourselves as it is the messages we convey to others.
So today, on World Sauntering Day, I’d like to encourage you to make time to communicate with yourself. Go for a walk, read a book, or write in a journal. While you’re at it, consider these two important life messages:
Message #1: Stop Glorifying Busyness
You may have seen this phrase making the rounds on social media lately:
“Let’s stop the glorification of busy.”
The phrase has been around for a while, but it seems to be gaining popularity. This is probably because we can all relate to it.
Author and blogger Guy Kawasaki wrote this in a review of Arianna Huffington’s new book Thrive:
“Our two main metrics for success are money and power, and they drive us to work longer hours, sleep with our phones and tablets, miss important moments with our families, and impacts our health. Arianna proposes a third metric for success: thriving. When you thrive, you take care of your health, get enough sleep, and do not live to work.”
Think about how many conversations turn to how busy we are, how tired we are, how we have no time for ourselves. Even from a purely physical point of view, a lack of sleep increases stress levels, increases anxiety and depression, can cause poor food choices, and weight gain. For me the bottom line is that when I am overtired, I’m not operating at my greated potential and it definately gets in the way of my success.
So I am suggesting that today, on World Sauntering day, we spend some time reevaluating our priorities. Are there things you could let go that would give you more free time to recharge?
Message #2: Love the Life You Have Now
It’s OK to look forward to a better life. You can and should work toward improving your situation. But remember to appreciate and really love the life you currently have. The life you have now has served you well and has made you who you are.
Author and blogger Jen Merrill says a friend made her a challenge on a Facebook post last year, reminding her to spend more time focusing on the positive after she posted a message about losing her creativity:
“Your muse, mojo, and sanity will return when the happy effects of positive are dwelled upon longer than the negative. I hereby dare you to three, yes. THREE positive and happy things everyday (EVERYDAY) through the month of June. Everyday, Henny Penny, you must share three positives that have occurred and have brought you joy.”
Merrill decided to take what she coined the Henny Penny Challenge for a month. (Of course, Henny Penny is a reference to the Chicken Litle folk tale). The improvements in her outlook prompted her to keep going – for a full year! While finding the three best points of a day can be a struggle, Merrill wrote that the changes she’s felt have made it worth it. She posted this recap on her blog:
“What was wonderful was seeing friends and friends of friends join in and do their own three things. Three bests, three blessings, three positives. Three positive anythings at the end of the day, a high note on which to end the waking hours. Others joining me on the journey of positive thinking.”
You don’t have to share your thoughts on social media, but thinking about three things you’re thankful for every day is a good way to learn to love the life you have now. For me appreciation and gratitude are a part of my daily routine and it does make a difference.
I couldn’t resist using World Sauntering Day as a wonderful reminder for us to slow down and enjoy life for one day. To take time to communicate with yourself about your priorities to keep them fresh in you mind so that they guide your daily actions. I beleive it’s important to make time to suanter a little bit everyday, it helps us to improve our happiness and well-being.
This is Lisa B. Marshall, Helping you maximize sales, manage perceptions, and enhance leadership through keynotes, workshops, books, and online courses. Passionate about communication; your success is my business. If you want even more success in your life, I invite you to listen to my other podcast, Smart Talk: Inspiring Conversations with Exceptional People.
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Businessman running, couple walking on beach, and change your mindset images courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.