Walk to Feel, Walk to Heal
There’s a hidden story between the steps
Take a walk, not just to move your body or chase steps toward a destination that’s somewhere out there. Walk to feel every heartbeat of life pulsating around us. Sometimes, we’re so caught up in our routines and daily busyness that we forget to see the world from a closer perspective.
When we walk, we’re not just moving from one point to another but also opening ourselves to the various phenomena scattered around us. In a quiet park, we might find a child laughing freely, their smile radiating pure joy. Or perhaps, we see an elderly woman walking slowly with her cane, each step seemingly carrying a long story of a life full of twists and turns.
"Every step we take on this earth is a reminder that life has many faces and stories,"
- a wise writer once said.
Walk in the early morning when the sun is just rising, the dew still clings to the leaves, and birds begin to fill the air with their cheerful songs. The fresh morning air is like a baby’s first breath, full of hope and promise. It’s in these moments that we find happiness in simple things, things we often overlook in the hustle and bustle of life.
Walk without a specific destination, let your feet guide you. Allow your mind to wander freely with the gentle breeze. As you step, try to feel the texture of the ground beneath your feet; the rough stones, the smooth asphalt, or the soft earth after rain. All these are metaphors for life itself—sometimes harsh, sometimes gentle, but always leaving an imprint on us.
Every person we meet along the way carries their own story. Some are joyful, some are hurting, some are full of hope, and some have lost their way.
"Every face is a new page from an unfinished novel,"
- as an old saying goes.
Walking among them is like reading an endless book, where we learn to understand, to feel, and finally to realize that life is a collection of interconnected stories.
On the sidewalk, we might see a street artist busy with their canvas, trying to capture the beauty of the sunset spreading golden hues across the sky. We might hear an old violinist playing a tune with heartfelt notes on a corner of the city. They are reminders that art, in all its forms, is a reflection of a soul longing to be heard.
When dusk arrives, walk under a sky that changes color—from blue to orange, then pink, before finally being swallowed by darkness. The changing sky is a metaphor for our ever-shifting emotions, from joy to sadness, from hope to despair, and then back to hope again. With each step, we learn to appreciate every moment, because every moment is unique and will never happen again.
Take a walk at night to a city forest, find a height, camp there for one night, when the city begins to quiet down, and streetlights glow, casting a warm light on the cold streets. That’s when we can reflect more deeply, listen to our inner voice that often gets drowned out in the daily noise. In the midst of silence, we find the peace we often search for in all the wrong places.
Every once in a while, take a walk. Let yourself get lost in the quiet and the crowd, in happiness and sorrow, in hope and reality. Walk so you can get closer to what’s around you, understand the many phenomena that exist, and feel the range of emotions flowing within you. Because, in the end, life is a journey we must enjoy, step by step, with all its beauty and uniqueness.
