I go on walks every day during lunch time--it helps me let go and ground myself between big chunks of work (and the day). I do a lot of the same routes, day after day, week after week. It can be monotonous at times, but it removes one more thing to think about, and enables me to disappear in music or a podcast, or just become immersed with the environment.

Today was slightly different. I did the same walk I've been doing all week, but I walked on the opposite side of the street for most of it. Insignificant detail right?

I realized that just walking on the other side of the street can provide a vastly different perspective: you see buildings in a different way, you appreciate the lay of the land from an alternative vantage point, and you notice small details in the microenvironment around you that would otherwise go unnoticed. I experienced distinct views of the eastern foothills I've never seen before. I observed the neighborhood surrounding my home with new vision.

It's profound how something so simple can change one's experience so drastically. Repeating the same thing, just moving 40 feet away while doing it, can dramatically change how you see the world. It opens up other possibilities and other avenues, literally. It fundamentally changes your perspective.

The old advice is to try walking in someone else's shoes, and that can certainly be helpful. Perhaps no less impactful: walking on the other side of the street.