Flatiron Plaza

I began my Saturday at the Union Square Greenmarket to do a little shopping and chat with some local farmers. While strolling around this famous outdoor market, checking out the fresh produce and other stuff, a lady in the midst of renting a bicycle from a bike terminal on a corner nearby suddenly captured my attention! So much so that I ended up mulling over the idea of renting a bike for a quick ride.

After thinking about it for all of 90 seconds, I said to myself, let’s do! So, I put my shopping on hold, rushed over to the spot where the bicycle station was, rented a bike, and pedaled on over to the Flatiron District!

Before I knew it, I was gliding down 5th Ave, eventually landing on the corner of 22nd St, right in front of an outdoor seating area where several people were enjoying coffee. Since I am very fond of the Flatiron Plaza from a sightseeing perspective, I decided to park the bike and take a leisurely walk around. 

Upon putting the bike into the nearest bicycle station on the block, I was back on the move and found myself walking across the street behind three women, one of whom was a well-known actress.

Bear in mind, I am not the type that gets star-struck, so after making eye contact with her, we each smiled and kept it moving. However, I would have introduced myself if it were Alicia Keys, and this post would be a lot different. Lol!

 

So after breezing past the ladies, you can now envision me walking in the center of the street, making a beeline to the front of the Flatiron Building. I wanted to get the perfect view of one of my favorite buildings in NYC, snap a few pics, and then capture what I was thinking at that moment into my journal app.

To get to the front of this iconic building, I had to walk across 23rd St, which gave me a nice view of the Empire State Building. As I continued marching, I had to zig-zag my way past some folks having brunch with pretty flowers all around them. As soon as I passed by the flower pots, I came to a sudden halt!

Then, I turned around slowly, looked up at the sky with the sun shining bright, and there it was, the Flatiron Building looking as gorgeous as ever! Seconds later, I spotted a woman holding a pink umbrella walking in my direction. When I mentally juxtaposed that visual with the Flatiron Building in the backdrop, I was suddenly inspired to write.

Thus, I eased over to the giant rock you can see below, sat on it, and began journaling my thoughts. Twelve minutes later, I was ready to go back to Union Square, so I stood up and moseyed back over to the bicycle stand to grab another bike.

Before leaving, I glanced up at the backside of the Flatiron building, took a final pic, then hopped on the bike and rode down to Union Square.

It just so happened that I also saw something at the Union Square Greenmarket that inspired me to write. I may share that journal entry and the photos with you in a future post. 😊

Enjoy your weekend!

Advocacy Panel

I had a magnificent time participating on an independent pharmacy advocacy panel at this year's AmerisourceBergen Good Neighbor Pharmacy #ThoughtSpot2021 conference.

Thank you, Cristina K. Muñoz, MPA, for moderating an informative and lively conversation with two of our customers, Jennifer Shannon and Greg Bohannon. Listening to them share valuable insight on the industry and learning more about the impact that pharmacy owners have on their patients and the communities they serve, particularly during the height of the pandemic, was truly inspiring!

Admittedly, advocating for community pharmacies is something that I am deeply passionate about, so I appreciate and applaud the ongoing advocacy efforts done by the AB Government Affairs team on behalf of independent pharmacy owners and their patients.

Moreover, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the keynote speakers, robust panel discussions, networking, and, more importantly, learning from and spending time with customers in the community and independent #pharmacy space over the past three days. Good stuff!

I will end this post with a tip of the hat to all the amazing independent pharmacy owners and pharmacists. Your commitment and dedication to your patients are commendable, and your work is making a significant difference.

Friends and colleagues, join me in acknowledging and thanking the independent owners and #pharmacists worldwide by sharing a comment in this post. I admire all they do and the care they continue to provide during these extraordinary times.

For updates on AB's advocacy efforts in the independent pharmacy space, I encourage you to follow @Advocacy_ABC on Twitter.

Until we meet again on Saturday at 11 am est, have a pleasant evening and a fabulous weekend ahead.

#healthcare #inspire
 

Reading the Newspaper

I've been watching my neighbor's dog for the past couple of days, so I found myself walking little Lucky bright and early this morning while also getting my cardio in. I must say, I have become quite attached to Lucky, to the point where I am now considering getting a dog. Lol!

As the pup and I continued strolling around the neighborhood happy-go-lucky, all of a sudden, I noticed a gentleman reading a newspaper, which reminded me of the days when I read the NY Daily News on the train ride to High School in Brooklyn.

Something about that thought during my youth, combined with the beautiful imagery in the background, gave me a calm feeling inside that I instinctively knew to embrace.

So with the temperature at a lovely 68 degrees and a nice chill in the breeze, I decided to pick up an old fashion printed newspaper from a nearby bodega and kept going with the flow.

Then, with the newspaper in my left hand, I searched for a bench on the sidewalk to sit down to read the first story that piqued my curiosity.

Not for nothing but; this was a bit of a break from my usual morning routine as I typically consume a few articles or journal my thoughts while walking on the treadmill. However, I purposely change my practice from time to time because it often sparks new and creative ideas.

So after purchasing a copy of my hometown newspaper, I sat down calmly on a bench with Lucky the dog right by my side, looking at me while wagging her tail, and proceeded to flip through the pages in high spirits.

I ended up reading an interesting article about a big story that just took place at the Olympics, which left me with much to ponder as I sat there sipping on a large cup of Starbucks blonde roast coffee.

Once I finished reading the article and contemplating the underlying message, and what it meant to me, I began collecting my thoughts to summarize them into my journal app on the walk back to my building.

On the way home, I suddenly remembered that I was out of fresh fruit and apple cinnamon oatmeal, the breakfast of champions. Yikes!

Since I am a breakfast kind of guy, I dipped into the deli inside my tower to grab a veggie omelet, hot off the grill with a slice of sourdough bread and a dash of pepper on top.

After devouring my food, I spent the next 20 minutes quieting my mind by meditating in the living room, followed by jumping in the shower and then getting dressed. I was now ready to start the workday. Let's go!

Indeed, finding the time to meditate at the beginning of each day is a non-negotiable in my routine.

What did you do to start your Wednesday to set the tone for an exciting and successful day?

Have a lovely evening. 😊

#meditation #mindfulness #motivation

 

Beacon of Light

I found myself this evening reflecting on a comment someone added to my most recent Sunday LinkedIn post. This individual asked if it was a coincidence that I share various shots of lampposts in my authentic content. Admittedly, I was pleasantly surprised when I first read the remark, as it was a very astute observation of my posts.

With this in mind, the answer to that question is that it is not a coincidence that I sometimes include images of lampposts in my content. If you are curious, please allow me to satisfy your curiosity right now by sharing with you why.

So when I am traveling around the city and come across a lamppost, occasionally, I find myself stopping to admire its beauty and what it symbolizes (at least in my mind) as I unite the ray of light with the first image that captures my imagination in the general vicinity.

When this happens, I instinctively pause and begin to reflect because my mind sees the lamp as a beacon of hope for humanity, figuratively speaking. Immediately after processing that lovely thought from deep down in my soul, l feel compelled to write!

As I embrace this sudden burst of writing #inspiration, the words of how I feel and what I see at that moment begin to appear in my head, and then I enter into what I can only describe as an unconscious writing flow.

I come out of this writing flow five to seven minutes later, which seems more like 30 seconds. Upon reading what I just wrote, there is always an inspirational message, subtle in most instances, tied to the moment, image, or group of pictures I've previously taken.

Then, with that thought of the light shining like a beacon of hope still fresh on my mind, I feel duty-bound to share what I wrote on this platform, knowing in my heart that my words will be beamed all around the world and uplift the right person at the right time.

Case in point, I recently received an email reminding me that a kindhearted post can deliver a message that helps someone get through a difficult day, which is one of the primary reasons that I continue to share.

For those who have been on this LinkedIn journey with me since I started posting, this story provides some additional insight into why I share my experiences.

Moreover, I stumbled upon this youthful exuberance for writing a couple of years ago, and as a result, I also developed a passion for photography. When I add these two things together, both of which come naturally to me, a short story for my journal usually follows.

I will end this post by saying, always believe in yourself, embrace your gifts wholeheartedly, encourage others whenever you can, and please keep shining your light!

So now, when you look at a lamppost in the future, I trust you will see and appreciate its beauty a little bit more. 😊

Until we meet again on Saturday at 11 am, have a relaxing evening and a great rest of your week. Let's go!

#nyc #mindfulness #motivation
 

On the Way to Brooklyn

 

I was on the move to Brooklyn this Sunday morning to visit my folks, but first, I made a pitstop at one of my favorite thinking spots to ponder intentionally. Without question, this is sure to lead to some fresh and valuable ideas, and I look forward to getting lost in thought!

After getting off the train, I moved off to the side to let the people in a big-time hurry get on their merry way. Once these individuals cleared out, I jumped on the escalator and rode it up towards my temporary resting location before transferring to the 4-train to get to Brooklyn.

As you can see in the first image, pedestrian traffic was flowing smoothly, and once I zipped through the exit turnstiles and walked up the steps, I could see my thinking spot only a few feet away.

Fortunate for me, the chair that I like to sit at was available, so I picked up my pace to claim it before anyone else could. A minute later, I was parked on the second interesting-looking white chair for the next hour, reflecting and writing about whatever came to mind, eventually getting lost in thought. Love it!

Immediately after finishing my thinking time exercise, I meditated for 15 minutes and then raced to catch the train over the Brooklyn Bridge en route to my destination.

On the way to the 4-train station platform, I suddenly remembered that I needed to reload my MetroCard, so I stopped at the self-service recharging station and added twenty dollars.

Curiously, as I was standing in line waiting my turn, I was trying to recall the last time that I interacted with a token booth clerk, and I could not remember. I am guessing it was over 10-years ago.

Next, I began to look around and noticed this cute little hello sign, image seven, which made me smile, so I just had to take a picture, click-click!

With my MetroCard now funded, I hopped on the 4-train and wrote this latest journal entry during the short ride over the Brooklyn Bridge. Indeed, it's amazing how much you can get done when you are intentional.

Nevertheless, another lighthearted Sunday post intended to brighten your day. BTW - I just realized that I enjoy writing while riding on the train. It's a fun way to pass the time. Lol!

Have a great week ahead. Let's go! 😊

#inspire #nyc #mindfulness #motivation