By Adam Clark, Groov co-founder
A while ago, I visited Prague in the Czech Republic recently. Stunning city, by the way. Steeped in history, some of it incredibly recent.
My wife and I were walking in the city with a local, Adela, who bemoaned all the tourist traps (souvenir shops, massage parlours, low-brow restaurants).
Adela said, “in Prague now, you need to look up”.
If you see trinket shops, look above them. If you see fast food stores, look above them.
She was so right.
If you raise your gaze above the tourist traps, it makes it easier to ignore them. You see the enduring beauty of Prague and the Czech culture. It makes you feel good.
This experience in Prague reminded me of something Sir John Kirwan (my business partner and Groov co-founder) told me when we first started working together.
One of JK’s techniques for feeling better every day is to walk slower.
For me, this technique has been incredibly helpful.
I found that if I slowed down and looked up and around me, it made a significantly bigger positive impact.
Walking slower, looking around, helps me to remove the hustle from my life for a few precious minutes. To take the tension out of my body and give my mind a rest.
When I started to slow down, I realised I’d spent the majority of my life walking fast, shuffling along with my head down, unobservant of what’s around me, just focused on getting from A to B.
Walking used to be about getting from the car to the office; from one office to another; from the car to the shops; to coach kids sports teams. It used to be a necessary evil.
Today, walking is something I look forward to. It calms me and makes me feel better. Less anxious, more grateful.
Walking helps me give back to myself. I’m observant. I’m engaged with nature. I'm engaged with what is going on around me. I’m also engaged with the community (it’s hard to make eye contact with the pavement!).
Sure, it means a three-minute walk turns into a five-minute walk. But, five minutes of pleasure is a lot better than three minutes of admin.
And, so it was in Prague that Adela’s comments reinforced for me the need to walk slower, to look up when I walk, and to take my mind to a restful place above the clutter of life.
Thanks, Adela. And thanks, JK. Things are looking up.