“Solviture ambulando” (It is solved by walking.) St. Augustine, 354 – 430
You learn the most amazing and surprising things on a pilgrimage.
Or, in my case, you relearn them.
Years ago, when I made my living as a contractor developing and writing training materials, I learned that whenever I got stuck in my writing, for more than a few minutes, the absolute hands-down best strategy for breaking the logjam was to step away from the computer and take a walk. Especially if I could walk in nature.
This never failed to get me out of Stuck.
The hitch was that I almost never did it. It always felt foolhardy and unproductive and a bit irresponsible to stop work, just because I got stuck. So I usually just tried to muscle and plow my way forward anyway, hoping that my sheer determination would get me through and back out the other side, to that blissful state of flow that we all yearn for.
My pilgrimage is showing me again the wisdom of St. Augustine, “Solviture ambulando,” or “It is solved by walking.”
If you get stuck today, in any way, I invite you to get up and walk. I’ll be doing the same.
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