Put one foot in front of the other in the face of adversity.

We are all of us in a quandary. Our finances have never been worse, we have interpersonal issues, the real estate market has tanked, and oil is gushing into our oceans by the second. Some people eat, drink, take drugs, or sleep to forget their state of affairs. Others feel so overwhelmed that they are paralyzed with fear.

If I believed in an evil one, it would be fear. Fear keeps us from living.

I recently published a story in the July/August issue of PhillyFit magazine called “A Walk in the Park.” I want Philly natives to get out there and appreciate the lush, hidden parks and preserves. Why? Because nature truly heals and inspires. Almost any problem that is causing you pain, can gain new perspective with a solitary walk without phones ringing, computer screens flashing, and televisions blaring more depressing news stories. We are pulled in so many directions that many people don’t feel they have the time for a leisurely walk through natural habitats. Since writing 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Philadelphia I have learned the value of putting one foot in front of the other in the face of adversity.

On the publisher’s page to this PhillyFit issue, publisher, Jami Appenzeller, details her plan to take charge of her life, yet again. “Once you stop marching forward, life stops, loses meaning and then eventually fades to black,” she writes. Black is the absence of light. It’s giving up, and we have all been there. But like her article, “Forward March,” it’s time to pull our selves up by our bootstraps and face our fears, one step at a time.

I know it sounds over simplistic, but visit a park or natural environment today or tomorrow, even if you have to wake up a half hour earlier or come home a half hour later from work. You don’t have to scale the Neshaminy Palisades or march up Bowman’s Hill, you simply need to force yourself out of bed, lace up your shoes, and take a 20 to 30 minute walk in a quiet place, outdoors. Keep doing this, one day at a time. This will not pay your bills, sell your home, mend your relationships, or solve the energy crisis, but nature has a way of quieting the mind. Fresh air and sunshine enter our beings and flow through our veins to our brains allowing for new insights and gained productivity. More importantly, small steps help us gain momentum against fear.

And the opposite of fear is love. Love is when you care about something or someone so much that you are willing to put aside your own comfort and conveniences to put forth energy for the good of another. It gives of time, talent, treasure, and trust. It protects and is present, and it requires commitment. It feels just as good to give love as it does to receive it.

Before you can love someone else, you have to love yourself; yet another cliché, but oh so true. Everyone who loves deserves to be loved in return. No scientist will ever solve the complexities of love. It is blind faith, yet as Appenzeller states “it’s real and it matters.”

Love yourself today, and take this simple step: have a walk in the park — for you, for those you love, and all that you can be. We will get through this one step at a time.