It’s debatable whether the Latin phrase “solvitur ambulando” (pronounced sol-vee-tur am-boo-lan-doh) means “the problem is solved by walking” or “the problem is solved by doing.”
Either way, for me a lot of problems are indeed solved by walking. I walk after meals to help my food digest. I walk when I’m upset to clear my mind. I walk when I talk on the phone to give my body something to do while my mind is listening.
In Montessori schools, guides often have the youngest students “walk the line” as a group when the room gets too discordant, or one student may walk the line balancing something like a glass of water on a tray to practice presence, slowing down, and concentration.
Adolescents walking goats was one of the most joyful, sweet sights I’ve seen as I spent time observing at a Montessori middle and high school this year. This school is set within the heart of a city of 70,000 people, but these students have the opportunity to walk with the animals as part of the schools Erdkinder program, learning care for animals, harmony among a group of mammals sharing a path together, and the power of walking. Now that’s something to walk about.
Takeaway: Go for a walk, solve a problem!