“Ten thousand steps. Roughly, that’s the distance you travel sunrise to sunset, each and every day of your life. It adds up to about 115,000 miles in a lifetime—or more than four times around this big blue planet of ours. With that said, just one question: Are you using your steps wisely?” This challenge comes from Bill Hybels in his book entitled Just Walk Across a Room, and I wonder in how many areas of our lives might this simple inquiry find application? With certainty, it can be applied to our physical wellness, as scientists have proven that Just Walking 10,000 steps per day is a helpful indicator in gauging a person’s overall rate of activity each day. Just look at the plethora of wearable fitness trackers utilizing this method of measurement! A simple activity has a profound ability to transform our physical health, so let me offer the instructions of personal trainer Leslie Sansome that I frequently hear during a workout, “Just Walk!”

Now, for educators in the discipline of wellness, we have a rich awareness of the additional benefits we gain from engaging in a simple physical activity such as walking—better sleep, improved mental performance, reduced anxiety, increased energy, enhanced moods, balanced weight, and perhaps even some financial savings from fewer purchases related to health issues. We also are knowledgeable that frequently health benefits result in what is known as a compounding effect, so it’s not a stretch to opine that Just Walking might allow us to perform better in our occupations, miss fewer days to illness, and provide us opportunities to engage meaningfully in the world around us, enhancing personal, professional, and even spiritual relationships as an added bonus. So, now that you are convinced to lace up those shoes and Just Walk, let’s add another layer to the above consideration of how wisely we are using our steps and ponder the intentionality of using our steps to build Relational Equity by meeting the needs of those people within our sphere of influence.

Just as I must be intentional about scheduling time in my day to Just Walk in order to reach my daily mileage goals, Hybels encourages us to thoughtfully and intentionally seek out opportunities to Just Walk across a room and engage others in conversation. When we leave our Circle of Comfort and enter into, what Hybels calls the Zone of the Unknown, we might just be opening ourselves, and those we are conversing with, into a Divine Interruption that could change lives. This calls to mind the story of Tommy Spaulding’s conversation with a bartender that I shared in the post Return on Relationships, and the fact that we often do not know how God might be using a current conversation for a later purpose—personally, professionally, or spiritually.  

Hybels encourages us to consider living in 3D by Just Walking across a room, “When effective walk-across-the-room people interact with others in their world, they Develop friendships—by engaging in the lives of people around them; Discover stories—before sharing their own story and God’s redemptive story; Discern next steps—by following the Holy Spirit’s direction.” They are building Relational Equity, and although Hybels’ focus is on sharing the redemptive story of Jesus, I think applications could be made here for the professional journey as well. It is important for us to develop professional friendships by engaging with colleagues and discovering their stories. Perhaps listening to their stories will enlighten us to discern our next career steps, hopefully allowing the presence of the Holy Spirit to use their experience as our guide. Regardless of whether we are applying Living 3D to our personal, professional, or spiritual relationships, the key here is to Just Walk…across a room, “across a street, into a restaurant, up a flight of stairs, through a locker room, wherever”—you must leave your Circle of Comfort to engage with others and to hear their stories.

My hope is that your life has been influenced significantly by someone who was willing to Just Walk across a room, introduce themselves, and engage in listening to your story. Perhaps that simple conversation led to a Defining Moment in your personal, professional, or spiritual journey. If so, will you please consider sharing this story in the comments below so that we can all be encouraged to Just Walk and use our steps on this big, blue planet wisely!

Reference:

Hybels, B. (2006). Just walk across a room: Simple steps pointing people to faith. Zondervan.