On Focus

Last night I saw a news story about this new viral trend: Silent Walking. It’s this hot new trend where you just walk. No headphones, no companions. Just feet. 

Stop and think about this.  Not the walking part, the “new viral trend” part. The expert is a consultant who advises people— even if it’s difficult at first to imagine it— to go for a walk by yourself without headphones or a companion. This is radical, he said. Radical. Taking a walk quietly in 2023 is radical. 

If you are under 35, you’re likely yelling at me now: You don’t get it!!  Actually, I DO get it. I am just stunned by it. He’s not lying and I’m sure it IS radical. 

This morning on the train to work, there was a woman next to me fully engaged in a zoom call with 8 people. I routinely see people on the train in meetings, having phone calls that signal: still working. Constantly working. This is hyper-connectivity.

In my own home, I’ve observed both my children doing what most in the under-25 crowd do. (I assume) I could call it multi-tasking but multi-tasking sounds like a productivity plan. This is them watching one thing on a screen and listening to something else through headphones. A movie AND a conversation. Online gaming AND music. I only observe this.  The ship has clearly sailed. But I wonder.

I read a quote this morning: “What everyone wants to belong to is community, but they keep winding up in audiences instead and I think this is the cause of a tremendous amount of suffering right now.” So I’m thinking about the value of focus. The expert who advised people to go out for quiet walks talked about both the psychological and physical benefits of doing it. No question. Facts, friends: this may be radical in 2023 but it’s not new. Many traditions have advocated for this for millennia. Silent retreats. Silent religious orders. Walking a labyrinth. I will add swimming to this list because: the rhythm of laps and the absence of music = focus (for me). 

You have to define focus for yourself, but I call it “clarity”. I call it: a good idea, a problem unlocked and sometimes, inspiration. It’s vital. To do the work I care about— building community rather than audiences— having focus matters. 

And truly, I am not criticizing this, for lack of a better word, trend. (Though yes, I find "influencers" deeply troubling.) My pitch today? IF this sounds radical to you, if you are someone who only walks (or runs) plugged in, consider giving this radical idea a try.. I love music while I’m working but I am also aware that it serves as a distraction. Give yourself the opportunity to experience a deeper focus. Take that Quiet Walk. You and the world will likely be better for it. 

Peace