Overlooking the Hudson River

I woke up this morning with a desire to mix up my Saturday routine, so instead of going straight to the gym, I decided to begin my day by sitting near a Christmas tree overlooking the Hudson River.

When I made it to the seating area and got situated, pleasant thoughts of the holiday season began to run rampant in my mind. With a tremendous feeling of blissfulness inside my spirit, I purposely leaned forward to get a closer view of the sun rising over the 8 million people in the city that never sleeps!

After sitting there marveling at the beauty of nature near and afar, I directed my body to lean back, closed my eyes, and allowed my nose to detect the lovely scent of the pine tree just a few feet away.

In rhythm, I stood up and watched in awe as the sun finished rising over Gotham City. Once it parked itself high above the skyscrapers, I remember thinking that the only thing missing was snow flurries and a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, which would have made the moment picture-perfect!

Suddenly, I heard a noise from behind, turned around to look, and it was a neighbor jumping into an Uber! She waved with her holiday reindeer antlers on, looking so cool, and I responded in kind and then got on with my day. 😊

Share a fun experience from today, and enjoy your weekend!

#nyc

 

Radio City Music Hall

On a relatively warm morning in the Big Apple, I went outside to take my customary Thanksgiving Day stroll around the city before rolling back into the house to stay in for the rest of the day. As you might expect, not a lot of foot traffic in the city at this time; yet, the sights and sounds of New York City remain spectacular!

As I stood still next to a bicycle rack near the corner of West 50th Street, I began to feel the sidewalk tremble, and I knew the sound of the train roaring from the subway was soon to follow as it rushed to its next stop!

When the train was traveling underneath where I was standing, I felt a rush of hot air come up from the sidewalk grates, knocking me off balance for a second. LOL!

After that exciting experience, I started walking towards Radio City Music Hall, passing by a woman with a light green mask and a guy dressed in all black. Eventually, I caught up to the two ladies on the right, all bundled up, and speed-walked right on by them!

Indeed, all of this action got me in the holiday spirit, so I turned on a holiday music playlist and reminisced on some of my favorite Thanksgiving Day experiences growing up in Brooklyn as I made my way back home.

Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving! 😊

#nyc

The Oculus

While flipping through the cable guide this evening, unsurprisingly, I could not find anything interesting to watch on television. LOL! As a result, I decided to open the photo app on my iPhone and pick out a pic to ignite my creative writing juices.

A picture I took at the Oculus a week ago captured my imagination, prompting me to go into my office to sit down and reflect. Once I sat in the chair, I turned on my Surface Pro and the second monitor, pulled up that image on the big screen, put on my headphones to listen to a Diana Ross instrumental playlist, and then let my mind wander!

 

As I mentally transported myself back into that moment in the photo, I began to recall the ambiance and soft lighting in that massive room, which was visually pleasing to my eyes. With Thanksgiving and gratitude soon top of mind, I felt a deep appreciation for anyone that read any of my LinkedIn posts this year.

 

Moreover, I continue to be inspired when you share your authentic thoughts and relevant experiences in the comments section, providing valuable insight for me and many in our network. Without a doubt, our interactions have increased my knowledge and helped me discover a joyfulness in writing that I never knew existed.

 

Have a lovely evening and a safe Thanksgiving! 😊

#nyc #gratitude

 

Meditating at the Pier

 

I was standing at the top of the boardwalk early Saturday morning, getting ready to walk down the ramp to the sidewalk, when all of a sudden, everything around me started to move in slow motion. Seconds later, I felt an inner peace overtake my spirit, which prompted me to take a deep breath, hold it in for 4.7 seconds, and listen to the soothing sound of my heartbeat.

I then opened my eyes wide to fully embrace the present moment, and all it had to offer. In doing so, the yellow paint neatly trimmed on the side of the wooden steps appeared so vivid, and the squeaking footsteps of a guy walking his dog at the bottom of the slope sounded crystal clear!

Halfway down the ramp, heading towards the Pumpkin Arch, unexpectedly, my eyes were struck by a beam of sunlight reflecting down from a skyscraper across the street! I froze for a second while squinting my eyes, and then I calmly walked over to the front of the orange structure and stood there in awe, taking pictures.

After that, I had a strong desire to meditate and decided to go with the flow. I found a spot to relax, put myself in a comfortable position, turned on my favorite meditation playlist, and allowed my thoughts to flow freely before dosing off for a few minutes.

I woke up inspired and ready to go! 😊

#nyc

42nd Street Subway Station

Strolling through the 42nd St subway station this evening on the way home, I found myself on a collision course with a lady who appeared to be rushing to catch the train. She was walking so fast that I felt a light gust of wind the closer she got before zipping right on by. LOL!

 

As I was determining whether to move to the left or right to avoid bumping into her, instinctively, I took a quick pic to easily recall this moment if I felt like journaling about it on the train ride home. After avoiding this friendly walking crash and now with a heightened sense of awareness, the 'Wicked Witch' picture in the background suddenly became my focus.

 

I went over to view the painted windows up close to allow my thought to better form. I stood there staring at the green, black, and white images, mentally replaying my favorite scenes of the Wicked Broadway musical with a smile on my face. 😊

Once out of this beautiful state, buying tickets to a Broadway show when performances resume is now on my must-do list!

 

After recapping this experience on my iPhone while standing by the Brains, Heart, and Courage window for the next six minutes, I marched downstairs, posted this on LinkedIn, and hopped on the train!

 

Enjoy the gift of being present, and have a lovely evening.

 

#nyc #mindfulness

 

Standing on the Corner

While standing on the corner next to a stop sign waiting for a car to drive by before crossing the street, I began checking out a painting on the side of an apartment building. Admittedly, I have walked by this high-rise building a thousand times, and yet, this was the first time I had the desire to thoroughly exam this picture.

As a result, I put going into the gym on hold for a few minutes and walked over to take a closer look.

Obviously, the female images were most noticeable, yet my eyes gravitated towards the tiny butterflies, which you may need to enlarge to see in this photo.

The second my eyes made contact with the butterflies, a quote recently reintroduced to me flashed in my head, "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." ~ Maya Angelou

I immediately felt a spirit of optimism for anyone going through a difficult stretch and in need of some random words of encouragement. Moreover, I believe that beautiful days are ahead for us all!

Wow! Those six minutes standing on the corner writing this post felt more like 45 seconds. LOL! Kidding aside, I just wanted to send out some positive vibes to my network this evening as the words came to me. 😊

Enjoy your evening!

#inspire #nyc

 

Charging Bull

Adding to yesterday's post, once I left Pier 17, my jogging route had me zipping through the Financial District. When I arrived at the corner of Broadway and Wall Street, I slowed down, looked to my left, and there it was…the iconic Charging Bull!

It doesn't matter how many times I see this bronze sculpture, it grabs my attention, and I almost always stop to get a closeup view.

These days, it's a different scene on the block where the Charging Bull and New York Film Academy reside. Not as crowded for obvious reasons; however, the excitement most feel while standing in this very spot still exists.

After taking this picture to share with you, I sat down on the sidewalk for a few minutes to watch people taking photos in front of the famous bull. It was easy to spot out the folks seeing the Charging Bull for the first time, and it was a delight to witness the jubilation each exuded while taking pics. Love it!

This 12-minute experience had my motivation tank overflowing, so now I am ready to roll! I got up from the sidewalk, put on my favorite Alicia Keys song (take a wild guess), and ran straight up Broadway to Times Square. The end. LOL!

Enjoy your Sunday. 😊

#nyc #motivation

 

Pier 17

I began my Saturday by spending time relaxing at Seaport Square before taking my morning jog. As I stood on Pier 17 looking up at the Brooklyn Bridge, with a sense of gratitude, I felt a light breeze against my skin while admiring the design of my favorite bridge and all of its splendor.

After slowly moving my eyes to the other side of the river, I paused for a moment, closed my eyes, and focused on listening to the cars traveling across the bridge, making this incredible echoing sound. With my eyes still shut tight and lost in thought, I began to hear sirens, getting closer and closer, so I opened my eyes and watched as a tow truck driver arrived nearby to pick up a disabled blue SUV. Lol!

By now, the dogs in the vicinity are barking playfully, and it's time for me to go, so I did some stretching to loosen up, took a quick pic, and then ran towards the Wall Street area.

Once done gallivanting around the city, I rolled into a deli to grab a cup of coffee and a sesame seed bagel, and while waiting in line, I wrote this post!

I hope you enjoyed our time together at Pier 17, and I appreciate you reading this post. 😊

Have a fun and safe weekend!

#inspire #nyc

 

Walking in the Rain

It was pouring rain at 6:28 am as I was walking into Starbucks to grab my morning coffee. Just as I got ready to open the large glass door to go inside, I came to a sudden halt to appreciate the raindrops hitting the ground and listened to the calming sound of water flowing down the nearby storm drain.

With the street lights shining bright, I zeroed in on a few people strolling by holding up umbrellas and heard the splashing sounds of their footsteps, touching tiny puddles of rainwater as they made their way to the train station.

It will come as no surprise for those who consume some of my LinkedIn content that I found all of this fascinating and snapped a quick pic before going into the café to order a medium latte!

When the workday was over, I went outside to get some fresh air with a mask on, which sounds a little weird. Since it was still raining, I pulled out my umbrella, and as soon as I pressed the button to open it up, that moment from early this morning flashed into my mind.

Now inspired to capture that thought before it faded away, I spent the next three minutes writing this post!

Indeed, it’s great to embrace the present moment, and I trust that this upbeat post will find its way to whoever needs to read it!

Enjoy the rain and have a relaxing evening. 😊

#nyc