Mindful Miles

As I sat watching a late-night movie, after what felt like a typically active day, I decided to check my phone for a number that would tell me a story about my week. I discovered that I’d taken 94,094 steps. It looks like such a big number, and maybe it is. It’s a number that speaks of miles walked and ground covered.

But my truer, more powerful recollection is not of the number itself, but of what a lovely week I’ve had. My week wasn’t truly measured in steps, but in moments. It was measured in the feeling of traveling to Reading twice, the quiet thrill of sinking into a cinema seat on a rainy afternoon, the simple satisfaction of indulging my treat cravings, and the deep peace that came from an excellent night’s sleep.

My week was also measured in the photographs I took of things that caught my attention—the simple, beautiful things that light my face up. Ducks waddling in a row, the perfect curl of a flower petal, the steadfast strength of a tree, the delicate wings of an insect.

Each one of these was a moment of joy that my phone couldn’t possibly count. It’s these moments that I’m now capturing in my new joy jar. I’ve decided to write down each day’s joy on a piece of paper and put it in a jar, a new tradition I’ll keep up until my 100th post.

Yesterday, it was having loved ones to celebrate with. The day before, it was the sound of a song I love. And today, it’s the simple pleasure of being able to write this post and reflect on it all.

Looking at my week in numbers makes me appreciate all the many blessings it’s come with, but the real story is in the feelings, not the figures. The numbers are just a fun statistic, but the joy is the real achievement.