Be Where Your Feet Are - An Ode to My Father

Meaning Exists in Even the Smallest Things…

My dad tells this story, and claims it to be one of my most silly moments. I used to drag my feet as a little girl. You know, where each step provokes a gravel-y sandpaper noise beneath the shoes. One day while walking, my father instructed me to “pick up my feet.” Quite literally I stopped and grabbed my foot. He soon found himself laughing as I sat down, holding both feet at once while attempting to scootch forward. 

The phrase “think about your feet” quickly became my father’s adage. Whether it was countless times lying in the hospital due to my chronic medical condition, working to improve skills for after school sports, or studying for a test, my dad would simply say “think about your feet” when feelings of stress aroused. 

I’m not sure when I began understanding the meaning of his words. Now I think of them often, embracing their message and appreciating his lesson.  

To Think About Your Feet Means…

To be where your feet are, mindful and fully present in the moment; to exist, observing one’s thoughts and emotions, without judging them; to be grounded in one’s beliefs while moving amidst an infinite world of possibility. Science suggests that cultivating mindfulness - avoiding clinging onto the past or living only for the future - can bring improvements in both physical and psychological symptoms as well as positive changes in health attitudes and behaviors. 

Increasing your capacity for mindfulness can help relieve stress, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and even aid heart disease treatment. 


How to Hone In Your Present-Moment-Presence…

To be where your feet are, mindful and fully present in the moment

• Practice a physically active form of mindfulness…

Consider trying yoga. “Children are natural yogis", says CHOP's oncology social worker Gregory C. Hedler, MSW, LCSW. Science suggests that yoga  provides significant health benefits not just for children, but for everyone! Improved proprioception and kinesthesia are just two of the many benefits associated with present-moment presence. 

To exist, observing one’s thoughts and emotions, without judging them

• Keep things in perspective…

One of my recent blog posts discussed “The Movers’ Prayer”, a play on words inspired by the Serenity Prayer. This historic prayer asks that the Universe allows the believer to accept the things she cannot change, the courage to change the things she can, and wisdom to know the difference. Certainly enhancing one’s serenity promotes a more realistic, less stressful existence. Nothing is perfect, and you can only focus on that which you can control.  

To be grounded in one’s beliefs while moving amidst an infinite world of possibility

• Embrace Stress inoculation as a mindset…

To become stronger, we need to challenge ourselves. Stress innoculation involves continually pushing healthy limits; pushing one’s physiological boundaries and comfort zone to promote growth and change. Finding this balance takes practice and skill.  

In his book Toughness Training for Life, Jim Loehr agrees that controlling stress so it is sufficient yet not too extreme is an important skill: “distinguishing between insufficient stress and maintenance stress and also between adaptive stress and excessive stress - it’s a vital toughening skill.”  

Our backs tell stories that no books have the spine to carry…

No doubt living the phrase “be where your feet are” is difficult. Though difficult, the rewards you can reap are worth the challenge. 

For tips on how to stay committed to commitment, check out my Empower Hour podcast from the radio! 

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Author: Julia Anthony
​B.S. Exercise Specialist, CSCS, NASM CPT