A New Way of Exploring New Places and Clearing Your Mind
Many years ago, I saw a status posted by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook (now Meta). He mentioned that whenever and wherever he goes for a business or pleasure trip, he likes to run with his team to explore the city or place. This simple yet profound habit inspired me to try something new on my travels.
Since I moved to Australia, I have my car, and wherever we go, we drive to the destination and enjoy it. However, this time when we visited Brisbane last week, I decided to go for a run and explore the place we were staying.
I really liked it. Running through the streets of Brisbane, I could feel the fresh air against my skin, smell the morning dew on the grass, and notice the little details that often go unnoticed from the inside of a car. That run helped me get the true feeling of visiting a place.
There’s something about running that grounds you in the present moment. As Haruki Murakami once said, “The thoughts that occur to me while I’m running are like clouds in the sky. Clouds of all different sizes. They come and they go, while the sky remains the same sky as always.” Running allows you to clear your mind and appreciate the beauty around you.
There is no question about the benefits of running. Many studies have established the positive health and mental benefits of running. It boosts your cardiovascular health, strengthens your muscles, and releases endorphins that improve your mood.
The best thing about running is you can feel every breath you take. It gives you the simplest truth of life: to be alive, keep breathing. This reminds me of a line from the movie “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,” where Hrithik Roshan says after scuba diving, “Just keep breathing.” Running offers a similar sense of clarity and peace.
Another benefit of running is that it clears the mental fog. Now, whenever my mind is stuck on a problem or I don’t feel good for some unknown reason, I go for a run. Trust me, it helps! Running helps me untangle my thoughts and often leads to moments of inspiration and problem-solving.
Yes, I know that some of you live in places where it is very difficult to run for many reasons. In that case, go for a walk at least. I believe you will have a similar effect, though you might miss the heightened feeling of catching your breath. Walking at a fast pace might help you achieve a similar sense of invigoration.
So, my suggestion to you is to go for a run when you visit a new place. Trust me, the experience will be set in your mind. You’ll see the world differently, and the memories will be richer. Also, try running to clear your mind when you are stuck with some confusion.
As John Bingham said, “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
Have a great run!
Shawon
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Quote to think about
...arithmetic, probability, and statistics. Those are extremely important.
From the book “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant“