I finished working and was craving a walk in the woods by my house. Usually, I grab my earbuds and listen to a podcast or I walk with a friend. Instead, I decided to try a walk with no distractions.

I spent a lot of the walk concentrating on listening to the sounds. I heard leaves crunching, birds calling, and the wind blowing. Then, I decided to be more observant to every detail I could see. I saw trees that looked rotten, leaves that were still hanging from the Beech trees, many fallen limbs, huge rocks, and noticed how the sun was shining through the trees. Taking in the surrounding smells, I did notice the earthy scents and the coolness and freshness of the air on my face. 

One of my favorites spots in the regular walk I take is coming around a turn and seeing the setting sun shining through the trees. It's really beautiful. That was the spot for this photo. I allowed myself a few seconds to take the picture and then the phone was put back in my pocket and the walk continued. 

How often are we connected to our phones and not tuned into what is around us? For me, it's quite often and I want to take some time, more often, for peaceful introspection and appreciating the little things. How about you?