Climb stairs whenever possible

I groaned looking at the next flight of stairs I had to climb. It’s 7:30 a.m. and I am carrying a heavy briefcase packed with files on one shoulder, a lunch bag on my other shoulder, a shopping bag packed with miscellaneous but important items for teaching in my left hand, and a cup of coffee in my right hand. I was climbing to the third floor at work. “Change your mindset,” I say to myself, and then I start to climb the next flight of stairs.

At work, I climb stairs all day. I climb steps to classrooms on the third floor in one building and then to my office on the third floor in another building. By the end of the day, I feel more resistance with each step and my leg muscles are strained. Sometimes I have to stop to catch my breath. It seems I am in a tug-of-war with gravity.

About 4.5 billion years ago it is hypothesized that gravitational forces caused the Earth to collide with another gigantic celestial body (Theia) which then threw Earth off balance and gave it a 23.5 angle tilt. This tilt is why we are blessed with seasons. Different times of the year we are at different angles from the sun.

Gravity is invisible and we take it for granted. But when you climb steps you can feel this marvelous and powerful force pulling on your body. This amazing force that moves planets, keeps Earth rotating around the sun, gives us seasons, and then also remembers to keep my feet planted on the Earth when I climb steps. While this pull makes climbing a challenge it also makes my life possible.

Take it or leave it suggestion #3: Climb stairs whenever you get the chance and contemplate how the force of gravity makes life possible.

Contemplating the Solstice, June 21, 2023. Because the Earth is tilted at an angle, we enjoy seasons and amazing Chicago summers.