This text was finalized while listening to this music.
A few years ago, during one of our Walking Mentorship programs, I received a gift I haven’t forgotten since. I’m sharing this story with you in the hope that it inspires someone else the same way it did to me.
Let’s go back to the summer of 2024.
We were running a Parents and Kids program when I noticed something curious. One of the participants kept pressing a button on a small device she carried in her backpack, doing it consistently enough to catch my attention. I found myself watching it, trying to understand. What was she tracking? What mattered so much that it deserved a click, again and again, throughout the day?
Eventually, I asked her: “What is that device for?” She showed it to me.
A simple counter. The kind you see at sports events, counting laps… or in airports, counting passengers. A small clicker that increases a number each time you press it. Nothing sophisticated. No app, no screen, no data. And yet, what fascinated me was this:
She wasn’t using it for anything obvious. There was no visible pattern. No logic I could understand from the outside. She would just… press it.
At different moments throughout the day. So I asked her:
“What are you counting?” Her answer stayed with me.
She told me the counter had been given to her during a university program, with a simple instruction: Use it to register special moments, the kind that usually go unnoticed. Every time something meaningful happens… click.
A small gesture, a click to say: this matters.
I loved it instantly. Not because of the device, but because of what it revealed. All those moments we usually let slip through the day… suddenly counted. For the rest of that week, I started noticing them too. Not obsessively, but enough to see something I hadn’t seen before:
Life is full of moments worth marking… if you choose to see them.
And then came the final dinner. We were raising our glasses, closing the program, when she looked at me and handed me the counter.
“Take it,” she said. “You enjoyed it too much for me to keep it.”
I didn’t expect it. But something shifted in that moment.
Not on the counter, but inside myself. And what clicked was this:
There are many things in life we cannot control.
But there are a few that are entirely ours: Our effort, our attitude, and where we choose to place our attention. From that day on, I made a simple decision. Every time something meaningful happens, a deep breath, a good conversation, a smile, a difficult moment that ends well, a walk, a page of a good book, a glance at the stars, I click the counter.
Not to count. But to acknowledge. To say: this matters.
And here’s the surprising part: The more you notice these moments, the more they appear. Since then, we’ve started giving away these “happiness counters” in our programs. We don’t count the kilometers, but we like to count the happy moments. And maybe this is where the story becomes yours.
You don’t need the device. But you do need the intention.
So here’s a simple challenge:
Find your way of marking what matters. A click. A note. A pause.
Don’t let those moments pass unnoticed.
Because a life well lived is not built on big events.
It’s built on the moments you choose to recognize, and you choose to make it yours, sharing them with the world by… clicking :)
In the meantime, keep walking with us, changing the world one step at a time, one person at a time.
Until our next newsletter,
Joao Perre Viana
Partner, Walking Mentorship
* The image at the top was taken at the fishermen’s trail in Portugal …one of those happy moments to remember. Again and again.
Ready to walk?
If you think it is about time to take yourself for a walk, we invite you to join one of our carefully designed upcoming programs. 2026 has plenty to choose from 👇
🔹 (last call) Camino de Berobreo with Michelle Hirschman – Spain
[17 April-25 April] Start here
🔹 (last call) Camino de Santiago – Spain
[22 May-30 May] Start here
🔹 Slow down into Nature Connected Live 2026 – United Kingdom
[14 June-16 June] Start here
🔹 Parents & Kids I – Spain
[4 July-11 July] Start here
🔹 Via Francigena – Switzerland
[21 August-29 August] Start here
🔹 Camino de Berobreo with Jodi Morris – Spain
[18 September-26 September] Start here
🔹 Slow down into Synergy The Retreat Show 2026 – Croatia
[27 September-29 April] Start here
🔹 Kumano Kodo – Japan
[10 October- 17 October] Start here
[24 October- 31 October] Start here
🔹 Year-end (Alumni only) 2026 – Morocco
[9 December-13 December] Start here
What have we been doing?
Over the past few weeks, from the end of February through March, it’s been a full and meaningful stretch for us. We closed February with a truly special experience, our fourth year walking with Social Innovation Sports. This project continues to inspire us deeply. This time, we walked along the southwest coast of Portugal, and it was simply unforgettable. There’s something about these moments that stays with us long after the walk ends. You can read about it here.
March then took us to Spain, specifically Madrid, where we hosted both individual and group programs. One of the highlights was walking with a class from Universidad Camilo José Cela. Their energy, curiosity, and openness made it a powerful experience, for them and for us. Being around such a young group has a way of reminding us what’s possible.
At the same time, March was also dedicated to our Foundation Training for new Walking Mentors. We had an incredible group, people from nine different nationalities, coming together with a shared intention to grow and guide others. Seeing this community form is something we’re genuinely proud of. Many of them will soon be walking with others around the world, and we’re already looking ahead to welcoming a second cohort in November 2026.
And finally, this month, we had the privilege of recording a podcast conversation with Sunniva Sorby, an extraordinary human being with remarkable stories and perspective. If you haven’t listened yet, it’s one not to miss. Start here.
That’s been our journey over these past weeks. In the meantime, you can watch the videos of previous programs on the YouTube channel here.
How can we walk together?
Walking Mentorship is a labor of love that helps you gain deeper insight and equips you to create a meaningful impact on your life and those around you.
How can we work together? We keep things simple by offering Individual, Group, and Corporate programs. You can also give vouchers as gifts to the people you love. Find the best fit for you and book a call with one of our mentors.
In the meantime, keep walking with us 🚶♂️, changing the world one step at a time.
