For our October Breath of Fresh Air™ we gathered in Aston near Henley-on-Thames on a crisp autumn morning for our journey through the fields overlooking Henley and back along the riverbank via the weir at Hambleden. The weather was absolutely glorious and soon we were removing layers of clothing and reaching for our sunglasses and sun cream.
Our theme for the walk was positive thinking – how to develop and maintain a positive mindset and how to protect ourselves from negative influences. Some of the questions we asked and discussed were:
- Is your glass half full or half empty?
- What influences are currently affecting you?
- How do you protect yourself from negative influences?
- What or who are the positive influences in your life?
- What would it be like to fill up your glass with positive thoughts?
- What choices do you have?
The final stop on our journey was on the bridge across the weir at Hambleden which spans a wide section of the River Thames. On one side the water is calm, still and peaceful and on the other it gushes, crashes and rumbles as it drops through the weir into the river below. This experience raised many thoughts and comments with some participants saying that they were drawn to focus on the torrent of water, others that they wanted to dive in because it looked exciting and some noticed the swans just above the weir who looked still and graceful but if you looked beneath the water at their feet you could see that they were working really hard to stay still and avoid being dragged into the weir.
The strongest recollection I have from our discussion is that the bridge we were standing on was a bridge over troubled water. That troubled water for some might represent the economic environment that we are in or some other challenge that we face. Rather than looking for a bridge over troubled water we are our own bridge over troubled water.
We all have the resources we need to be our own bridge – how are you tapping in to yours?
Here are some of the comments from the positive people who joined us for the walk:
“Getting on the bridge gave me perspective…I can choose how to view the different types of water.”
“Thank you for your structured and calming thoughts. Right from the beginning where we focused ourselves (in the field, feeling the earth beneath our feet) I relaxed and enjoyed exchanging views and ideas with the different walkers.”
“…realising that actually I do have choices…but I choose not to recognise them!”
“I’ve been focusing on the calm still water, with an awareness that the fast flowing water is nearby.”
Who do you know and what organisations do you know who would benefit from a dose of positivity and a Breath of Fresh Air™?
Contact us so that we can talk about running a tailored event for them.