I went for a walk yesterday morning. Not because I’m disciplined or enlightened, but because—well—what if I die this afternoon?
I’m not trying to be dramatic (though I’ve been known to indulge). It’s just that priorities get weird when you suddenly remember you’re mortal. With that in mind, does the argument I almost started with myself over some none consequential matter still feel important? The emails I didn’t answer? Not as urgent. The book I didn’t read? Probably not the defining legacy of my existence.
So I walked.
Not for exercise.
Not for steps on an app.
Just to enjoy being alive.
It’s part of my new “keep it simple” plan.
Gratitude is the great equalizer. We can get so caught up in the meaningless things that we forget everything we have to be thankful for in our lives.
©2025 Rainer Bantau
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During my walk the sky didn’t do anything spectacular. There was no cinematic sunrise or profound metaphor hidden in the clouds. I passed a man talking to himself. There goes future me, I chuckled. A feral cat judged me from a fence post. I survived both encounters. Imagine that.
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We tend to fill up our days with stuff that seems urgent but isn’t. We save joy for later, assuming there’ll be a “later” waiting politely for us. What if the most sacred thing you’ll do today is take a walk? Not because it feels productive, but because you noticed the world existed—and you wanted to experience existing in it.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
James 4:13-14 ESV
So yeah. Walk in the morning.
In case you die in the afternoon.
Or worse—
In case you don’t, and you wasted the morning. Whatever that thing is keeping you from doing it will wait. I promise.
What’s one simple thing you’d regret not doing if today was your last?
Until my next post…
Grace and peace,
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
The Stigma Stops Here.🛑
#mentalhealthmatters
The Devotional Guy™ 
Thank you too 🌻
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Excellent observation, my friend. Yes, part of my therapist’s counsel to me is to try and just “be”—that existing in and of itself is worthy of my time, so to speak. It’s challenging, I promise you, but also worthwhile. Give it a go and let me know what happens. Enjoying life for life’s sake. (What a novel idea!) thanks for reading and sharing your observations, David.
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I like how you went for a walk for no reason in particular, other than to contemplate your existence. Many folks, including me sometimes, are all wound up about making every single moment count. You just reminded me that every moment already counts, so I should relax and enjoy what comes.
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I agree. I had a close call a couple of summers ago that I posted about, where I got bumped to the ground by one of the horses, hit my head, and then saw stomping hooves all around me. I thought for sure I was going to be with Jesus, but suddenly the horses were far away from me. I sure look at life differently after that. Not gonna waste time on stupid stuff!
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Hah! Thank you 🙏 It’s good to be intentional about our time. Thanks for reading and taking time to comment. Blessings.
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Way to squeeze every joyful drop out of a day Rainer! And then sharing it with us! p.s. Loved your first thought when passing the man talking to himself! You rock!
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That’s a great habit, Nicole. Thanks for reading and sharing your insights.
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It’s been a habit of mine to tell people close to me that I love them, especially my son. I don’t want to die with the regret that they don’t know I love them 🌻
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