As I was mulling over what my first blog post for this site should be, I did what almost always helps me clarify my thinking—I went for a walk. Movement, specifically walking, has been one of the key practices I have used for many years to focus, work through complex problems, and generate creative and meaningful solutions.
Plus, I just love to walk—a lot.
The idea for this website came to me during a hot, solitary, and sunny walk several weeks ago. Earlier that morning I set out from my home and headed south, aiming for the public library in the adjacent city. (The library in my neighborhood is perfectly fine—excellent, in fact—I just wanted to set an ambitious target for the day so I would be sure to walk far enough.)
I didn’t have a particular agenda or a plan of what I would do once I arrived at my destination. I simply wanted to go for a long walk to work through some ideas.
Aside from walking, I have a few other passions that regularly compete for my attention:
- Living mindfully and with an emphasis on intentional and rational minimalism;
- Leaving the world a better place through my actions, both at home and wherever I work;
- Exploring the world, to better understand myself but also to be humbled and inspired;
- Capturing moments and memories through photography, my first profession and my favorite creative outlet;
- Sharing knowledge, positive stories, and inspiration to motivate and empower others;
- Meeting thoughtful people who are living with intention and pursuing positive impact work; and,
- Learning and growing, and working to be more thoughtful and compassionate.
I knew I wanted my next project to combine as many of these passions as possible, but I needed to clear my head and focus to make sense of my options.
Sparing you the details of my walk, I will share that it wasn’t until I was almost home on the return leg that the idea for this site came to me. It was a jumble at first, like a dinner thrown together in haste, consisting of leftovers from several different meals. I wanted to engage with social impact organizations and leaders and share their stories through words and photographs. I also knew I wanted to do this while traveling sustainably (ideally by foot as often as possible).
Accordingly, almost eighteen miles later, and eager to get out of the heat, my day of walking led me to a solution. The idea of sustainable travel, ideally by foot, to engage with social impact organizations and leaders, somehow led to “Social Impact Wayfarer.”
Despite the clunkiness, the title has grown on me a lot, and it fits me quite well.
More specifically defined, a social impact wayfarer travels and intentionally works toward positively impacting society. Whether through personal or professional actions (e.g., volunteering, working for a nonprofit organization, etc.), they are motivated to improve the world and help others. They see their life as a journey (whether they primarily stay in one place, or travel constantly), working regularly to combine their passion for exploration and discovery while positively impacting the world.
I’ll touch on how I plan to accomplish this lofty goal in future blog posts, but now, I need to go on another walk.
Until next time, solvitur ambulando.