I snuck in a walk by myself this morning a little later than our usual 6am but between rain showers. I nordic walked up to Parkers Lake as I wanted to see if the rain had affected the lake level at all. We are way short of moisture for the season and the water was very low. I was pleased and amazed that the inch and a half of rain had raised the water level enough to claim back about 3 feet of beach. Small input, large return.
This morning I was also enjoying all the gardens bursting with beautiful perennials. Many of these gardens are fairly new, the plants were young and very small when planted. Through careful weeding and watering these same plants have more than doubled in size and are full of blooms and color. In my own garden I finally have yellow peonies after 3 years of waiting. Another natural lesson on a large return for a small investment.
We often get frustrated with ourselves over our outdoor activity level. Have you gotten down on yourself with thoughts like: everyone else is doing more, what is the use of going out if I can only do 15 minutes, I’ll never be able to keep up, I don’t have the time to get out, it’s just too hard to get started.
But look at the lakes and ponds and look at the gardens. Mother Nature is showing us all around that it’s not about how far or how long you go. It’s not about being the marathoner. It’s an inch of rain, it’s a piece of a hosta. It’s taking the time to do the small things and then to patiently watch your investment grow as you can walk farther, bike more often, maybe even hike to the top. We have to start somewhere. Just 10 minutes today, one slow walk to the end of the street, one bike ride around the block, and tomorrow we’ll do more because we’ll be stronger, feel better, and be healthier because of what we did today.
Today, just go for a walk in the garden. Say thank you to mother nature for reminding us that we can reap huge returns for our small investments today.