Like I do most Sundays, yesterday I went for an early morning walk.
I like to park near a mall outside town and then walk along the river to the center, where I stop at my favorite café for a coffee.
While I walk, I talk with myself.
I let my thoughts run free, following the rhythm of my steps.
Yesterday, though, I've decided to do things slightly differently. First of all, I went with my flip-flops instead of my walking shoes. Mine are not beach flip-flops. They are the ones I used for my pilgrimages along the Narmada River in India. So, they are perfect for a contemplative walk on a hot summer morning.
The other choice was a little change of route. Instead of walking on the left embankment, the one with a nice and clean gravel path, I opted for the right one. There is no path there, only grass. But someone mowed it, and it looked perfect for an intimate walk.
As I quickly discovered, that wasn't the smartest idea. And they didn't mow it all the way through. I soon found myself walking through tall, wet grass.
Standing there in my soggy flip-flops, I found myself laughing at my own stubborn choices. Here's the recording of what I was thinking—yes, I record my conversation with myself.
"This wasn't a great idea. Walking on flip-flops. Anyway. It is what it is. I did what I did. I'll deal with that. As they say, action has consequences. Don't do anything if you're not willing to take responsibility for the consequences. The good ones, the bad ones, the positive and the negative. The ones that make you rejoice and the ones that make you feel dumb. Like me right now."
I still smile, thinking about that moment.
It was a dumb thing to do, maybe. But I had fun.
We make choices.
We take action.
We deal with the consequences.
That's it, right?
"In nature, there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences."—Robert G. Ingersoll.
What's the last dumb thing you've enjoyed doing?
Thanks for reading One Apple A Day. While you’re here, I want to invite you to join me in The Gift Book Club. It’s a little space we’ve created to celebrate the launch of Becoming The Mentor, the new book I wrote with my mentor Rossella Pin. The book will be out soon. In the meantime, if you leave your email in the club, you’ll receive first-hand updates plus some lovely surprises.