Talking then Walking

This morning, after a horrible night's sleep, I uncharacteristically got myself out of my apartment BEFORE I HAD COFFEE to go on a quick jaunt.

Here's why: I started reading that damn book The Happiness Project--a book I'd never have read except two women friends, both brilliant writers I respect, recommended it.

In the book, Gretchen Rubin talks about how even walking can trigger the body's relaxation response and reduce stress. She talks about exercising for energy not vanity. Not that walking is really "exercise" per se. But it's something. It's more than nothing. Once I read it in black and white--especially during a time when I feel somewhat stuck and uninspired in my life--I couldn't get it out of my head.

I started changing into walking clothes all the while carrying on a conversation with myself:

Grumpy Laura: "You're not really going to do this are you?"

Determined Laura: "Shut up. If I think about it too much you'll win and when I walk out of the building in two hours into a beautiful morning to go to work, I'll feel that pang of regret that I didn't get outside before having to go inside all day."

Grumpy Laura: "But it's 7:15 in the morning!"

Determined Laura: "I know."

Grumpy Laura: "But you haven't even had coffee yet! YOU. NO COFFEE. How is this even possible that you're moving around like this?"

Determined Laura: "I'll have my coffee when I get back. We can wait until then. It'll be that much more enjoyable."

Determined Laura won. She went on a walk in a beautiful Berkshire morning.

To tell you the truth, my mood wasn't all that fabulous--but it was nice to be out and about. I saw four different people out walking their dogs. One woman sweeping her sun porch. Another guy doing push ups on his sun porch, and a dude in pajama pants and a fleece in his wheel chair zipping around the neighborhood trying to find reception on his cell phone.

I felt like it was my first day joining some club. The Club for People Who Take Care of Things (themselves, their bodies, their dogs). The Club for People Who Are Up and Moving Before 8 AM. The Club for People Who Want to Get a Jump on Things. Who Have Lives. Who Have Routines.

So I did it. A 20-minute walk before 7:30 AM without coffee. Hooray.