Sometimes the most profound discoveries happen in our own backyards.

This morning, I laced up my shoes with a simple intention: to walk through Bible Park. It’s the place I've walked dozens, maybe hundreds of times. But today’s mission was different, I really wanted to open my mind and heart to a new way of viewing the park and a new way of enjoying my walk. I wanted to experience Bible Park not as background scenery on my way to somewhere else, not as a route to clock steps or raise my heart rate, but as a place worth exploring with fresh eyes and all my senses wide open.

I chose trails I don't normally take, the ones that veer slightly off my usual loop. I wasn't chasing a workout. I was chasing beauty, presence, whatever the park wanted to show me if I slowed down enough to notice.

The trees showing off their autumn splendor.

The clear sky stretched overhead in that particular shade of blue that only Colorado can give us. The trees were lit from within, or at least that's how it looked. Shades of yellow and gold and orange layered together. Leaves rustling and shaking in a light breeze that moved through the park like calming waves. The whole place seemed to shimmer with light and energy, bursting with a kind of quiet joy.

I walked at a moderate pace, letting each of my senses have its own turn. The air was warm and the sun felt hot against my skin, despite it being mid-November. The cool breeze brought relief. I could hear birds calling to each other, as if they were playing games. There were dogs barking in the distance, and there was a steady hum of cars passing by on nearby streets. It was the perfect soundtrack of a neighborhood alive and moving freely.

I stopped at the creek, which I normally don’t do, and I just stood there and watched the water meander by. It seemed to be unhurried, taking its time, and slowly making its way down stream. The sound of it was soothing, a gentle whisper beneath all the other sounds. It was calling to me and reminding me to slow down, take a breath, enjoy the unhurried journey.

I then took the path less traveled. It’s a dirt path that I usually walk right by because it’s not on my normal route. The path skirts the water and flows through some tall grasses. It was bustling with activity from Rolly Pollys slowly making their way to the next dirt pile, to squirrels scampering up and down the Cotton Wood trees by the banks of the creek. I took in all the new sights and sounds and noticed that sometimes all it takes is a small deviation to shift my perspective entirely. It was like I was seeing the park for the first time.

This is what I mean when I say walking is more than exercise. This walk was a full-body and full-heart experience. A reminder that beauty isn't something we have to chase down in distant places. Sometimes it's waiting right here, in the park we thought we already knew, asking only that we show up, slow down and pay attention.

Your turn: What familiar place could you explore with fresh eyes? Where might you find beauty hiding in plain sight?

Location: Bible Park 6600 E. Yale Ave. Denver, CO

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