Wild Wayfinding

Nothing like the first snake sighting of the season to yank me back into the present moment on my hike yesterday!

Pretty sure it was a garter snake so I wasn’t in any potential danger but I didn’t notice it until it slid quickly off the trail right in front of me. A little too close for comfort if it did happen to be a rattler….

And here I thought I was being mindful and paying attention to my surroundings. But I wasn’t. I was in my head.

For the rest of the hike my body, mind and spirit were together with me on the trail. I prefer it that way but I guess sometimes I need a snake to remind me!

I hike with a fridge.

But it doesn't actually look like this! Check out my latest Hip Hiker blog post for the details.

Link in the comments.

"You Are Here."

A sign that made me chuckle from my April Wayfinding Day.

"Well, yes, I am," was my response.

And you are, too.

In this moment. In this time. In this place.

What awareness opens up once noticing brings you into presence?

When I go walk on Wayfinding Days, I am open to what I notice, what I see and hear and experience. And then what a particular sign or sound or interaction invites me to ask myself.

Try it on your next walk around the block: use one of your five senses to notice and then see what it might be asking you. Stay with the question for a moment. And then come back to your day, with a pause, a little more noticing, and an awareness you didn't have when you left.

Do you long to get outside, move your body, and come back to the rest of your day refreshed?

My DIY Wayfinding Day video can help you do that.

Follow along as I prepare for a wayfinding walk.

Watch as I point out things I notice along my route.

Reflect on questions that I pose for us to consider.

Walk with me.

Get the DIY Wayfinding Day video at Linkinbio.

I am honored that people are listening to my book--it's in the top 10 again on Audible! If you haven't yet, get your paperback or ebook copy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or audiobook from iTunes or Audible: Walking & Wayfinding: Create Your Own Mindful Practice, One Step at a Time.

And then take a listen or some time to read about how you can bring some mindful walking into your daily life--for finding clarity, calm, and connection.

And then...go take a walk 🥾

Wisdom from my travels…hotel notepad version:

Writing thoughts down has always been a way for me to capture what’s going on inside my head. From list-making to journaling to writing a book, words have helped me find my way in this world.

How do you keep track of all your good ideas?!

Went Wayfinding today. Wow was my head busy reflecting on the past few years since I went on my very first Wayfinding Day in 2023.

Since that time I’ve published a book, got a new zirconium hip, walked/hiked/backpacked hundreds of miles and many days on sidewalks, trails, and in the backcountry wilderness. I’ve also worked with hundreds of people in my coaching practice helping people reflect on their own lives, consider what they want most and take steps to find their own way.

I had a lot to think about today so it took a while to settle into my steps and not just stay in my head.

What might you discover if you took your body for a walk?

Spent the night in Joshua Tree National Park this past weekend. It's an International Dark Sky Park and the stars are phenomenal ✨

Spent time with friends, went on a hike with my husband, and got to look through a gigantic telescope at the planet Jupiter and the supergiant star, Betelgeuse (sounds like Beetlejuice!).

While we were checking out the telescope, the conversation turned to wayfinding (and I didn't bring it up!) and how in order to navigate by the stars it has to be night time, often when we feel we can't see clearly.

It is in the dark that we can find our way...mind blown.

When we let our eyes adjust to the night sky, we see even more.

Sit with that (preferably in the dark, and if you're lucky at a Dark Sky Park!).

What might you know clearly if you let your eyes adjust to the night sky in your life, when the day's busy-ness is hushed and quiet and you begin to see the designs in the sky, when you can't decipher what is all around you and you see the sparkle of the stars to guide you?

I’m holding my latest writing project in my hands! I contributed Chapter 20, “Walking Towards Well-Being: Wayfinding as a Mindful Practice” to this new book, Confident You: The Raw Conversations. It’s debuted at #1 and holds stories from over 20 women leaders, coaches, creatives, and change-makers.

Get your copy today.