One of these days, I listened to the radio in my car and was surprised by what was playing. I had swapped from a news station, tired of all the noise, to Antena 2 – a state-owned radio that usually plays classical music and promotes cultural events. My grandmother used to have this station playing every morning, just loud enough to be heard throughout her home, which always brings me some comfort. It is like an oasis of tranquillity that seems to leisurely go from one piece to the next without rush, even in these hectic times.
Still, I wasn’t expecting what I heard. I had just finished a call on the hands-free, and as the radio came back to life, I listened to the sound of footsteps on a dirt road. This is a familiar sound for me, though usually not on the radio. Mingled between the sound of the steps, I could hear the bells from the cow’s collars. Suddenly, the shepherd with the Beiras’ characteristic accent called out the name of one of the cows – “Malhada, vamos para a serra, anda” – Malhada, let’s go to the hills – and clapped his hands. A few seconds passed, and he called out again, “bonitas vaquinhas, bonitas…” – nice cows, nice… This went on for at least five minutes- that on the radio sounds like an eternity. Totally relaxed and clearly enjoying his walk, the shepherd kept calling out words of incitement and praise to his cows, calling them fondly by name. This radio station played this on leisurely for a good while, just allowing for time to be enjoyed – no rush, no stress — just a relaxed walk.
I can swear that I envied that shepherd, leisurely walking to the hills with his cows, while I sat in my car running from a call to a meeting to another task. I have no illusions about the struggles and hardness of a shepherd’s life. And personally, I’m blessed with the possibility to do beautiful walks in nature as part of my job.
But on these hectic days of rush where we barely take the time to enjoy anything, it is worth pondering the simple pleasure of enjoying the passing of time – with no other purpose than to rejoice in the fact that we are alive. Keep reading and you might find some interesting challenges…
1 – Video
Our next guest on the podcast – Keep Walking With Me – is Shane O’Mara.
Shane is a professor of Experimental Brain Research at Trinity College Dublin and a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator. Shane explores brain systems supporting learning, memory, cognition, and brain systems affected by stress and depression. Shane is the author of the book ‘In Praise of Walking: The new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us’. Great insights wrapped with beautiful music. You can hear the full podcast here or watch the video on our youtube channel.
2 – Pictures
We share a couple of images from the latest Corporate Programs we are doing in a blended format. Walking on your own but united with your team, using the best possible way the technology, and always in nature. You can find more on our blog.
3 – Ideas (towards the best version of yourself)
Did you ever try to watch slow tv? This is a term used for a genre of “marathon” television coverage of an ordinary event in its complete length. Its name is derived both from the long endurance of the broadcast as well as from the natural slow pace of the television programme’s progress. It was popularised in the 2000s by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), beginning in 2009 with the broadcast of a 7-hour train journey between Bergen on the Norwegian west coast, crossing the mountains to the capital of Oslo. Relax and enjoy the ride …
If you really want to dig into such a fascinating topic, check these links and you might find the cows on the radio 🙂
4 – Should we walk together
Walking Mentorship is a labour of love that we hope helps you gain deeper insight and equips you to create a meaningful impact in your life and the ones around you. How can we work together? At WM, we try to keep things simple by offering Individual and Corporate Programs, see what is the best fit for you. Due to the current situation, we also offer fully remote programs, with the same dynamics and deepness, connected through technology – we continue to walk together.
Keep walking with me,
Nuno Santos Fernandes
Partner of Walking Mentorship
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