Early Morning Reflection

I woke up this morning at 5 am with thoughts of #gratitude flowing through my head and full of vigor! As you might imagine, I stayed underneath the covers for a bit longer to let my mind wander for five more minutes before getting out of bed.

What's more, these thoughts were so vivid and motivating; now that I was wide awake, I soon felt the need to go up to the rooftop to finish embracing these inspiring thoughts in one of my favorite thinking spots.

After leaping out of bed, I threw on a blue jogging suit, then walked over to the Keurig, popped in a k-cup pod, and brewed a fresh cup of coffee.

Now with my coffee mug in hand, I made my way to the elevator, tapped the up bottom, and rode it up to the top floor while simultaneously capturing my thoughts into my iPhone.

Since it was super early, I figured the lounge would be empty, and when I walked inside, I saw that was indeed the case. Next, I glided over to the spot where I normally like to chill, sat down, and then took a few sips of my hot coffee. Lol!

I sat quietly for about six minutes in deep thought before getting up and walking to my right, and opening the door to get outside.

As soon as I set foot outside, I could tell that it rained last night because of a tiny puddle of water I spotted on the ground. Then, when I looked up at the sky, I noticed the clouds moving fast and the sun peeking out as it started to rise and shine light over the Big Apple!

While standing on the rooftop, I recall thinking how #thankful I was for this moment, and in that thought, I took a deep breath of fresh air and exhaled with a huge smile on my face.

I stood still for the next couple of minutes, typing in how I was feeling, and soon felt the urge to go downstairs and stroll over to the nearby pier to be closer to the Hudson.

So my next move was to hop back on the elevator and hurry over to the furthest point on the pier. I am happy that I did because I gifted myself to one of the most spectacular views of #NYC, coupled with the peaceful setting illustrated below, leading to a feeling of tranquility.

I stood at the end of the dock, lost in thought for 15 minutes, admiring the calmness of this moment, knowing in my heart of hearts that I was exactly where I was supposed to be!

When I snapped out of being in a state of flow, I took a moment to read what I just wrote and felt dutybound to share it with you via this post.

Friends, I enjoy sharing photos associated with spontaneous experiences in my natural writing style on LinkedIn. Keep in mind, not because I can write narrative prose effortlessly; instead, it's because I've learned firsthand the value of authentic storytelling and how it can, at times, uplift someone's spirits at a down moment without me even knowing.

The thought mentioned above inspires me to write, and often. I feel compelled to share some of my journal entries with you on this platform, and I appreciate your engagement.

Have a pleasant evening. 😊

#mindfulness #motivation

 

Times Square and Carnegie Hall

Since I missed out on my jog around #nyc yesterday, I was up bright and early, ready to make it happen this Sunday morning. Let's go!

I landed in the Times Square area right at 7 am, ready to roll. Let's do this! There were only a few people out, which was fine because that meant I could run around more freely.

After consuming some sensationalized local and national news about an hour ago, I didn't want to contemplate anything too heavy during this particular run. As a result, I gave myself permission to go with the flow and let my thoughts develop naturally, knowing they would lead me to pleasant thoughts; thus, setting the tone for today.

I went on wandering happy-go-lucky while also clearing my mind from any clutter, drama, or irrelevant noise of the world, and it was so refreshing.

Upon completing my run straight up 7th Avenue, I ended up right next to Carnegie Hall, which happened to be near the F-train subway entrance.

Well, friends, I decided to share this spur-of-the-moment post to encourage those of us that have been running fast as of late, generally speaking, to slow down a bit and use this Sunday as a day to relax and reflect.

As for me, reading or writing with instrumental music playing in my ears always relaxes my mind, so that is what I will be doing most of today in my man cave. Lol!

With that in mind, I got started by collecting my thoughts from this recent experience and wrote about it in my journal app on the train ride home. 😊

Until we meet again on Saturday at 11 am EST, have a peaceful Sunday and a fantastic week ahead!

#mindfulness #inspire #motivation

Starbucks and the Farmers' Market

I was standing by the order pickup area in #Starbucks this evening, waiting on a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino, when a woman dressed in all black caught my eye.

I bet you're probably now thinking it was because I thought she was attractive, which she was; however, seeing her turn around with her stylish black mask on made me pause and think about how weird it is living through this pandemic.

Prime example, I saw the full face of a lady I've been seeing at the gym for the past four months for the very first time yesterday morning. Unbelievable!

Friends, every once in a while, I have a brief moment when I feel exhausted from the madness associated with this pandemic.

Nevertheless, I always embrace this feeling and then purposely direct my mind to focus on how fortunate I am for my many blessings, which puts everything in its proper perspective.

So after grabbing my fancy blended beverage, I had a fun exchange with the Barista, whom I enjoyed speaking with because of her bubbly personality, and then went outside to make my way to the subway.

When I got close to the train station, I came upon a makeshift farmers' market spread out on an entire city block. I don't know about you, but whenever I come across one of these markets unexpectedly, they usually pique my curiosity, and if time permits, I will walk over and check it out.

With that in mind, I began strolling around the market with no intention of buying anything.

As I approached the area where the food vendors were stationed, I was hit with a sudden flash of light, literally stopping me dead in my tracks! It was so bright and sudden that I lost my balance for a hot second and immediately shut my eyes tight to block out the ray of sunlight.

When I regained my balance, and my vision came back into focus, I took a look around, and something about the scenery captured my imagination, and just like that, I felt inspired to write!

Before opening my journal app, I snapped a couple of pics, and right after that, I started typing. It must have been 90 seconds into journaling my thoughts when I got a whiff of some good-smelling empanadas floating in the air from a nearby vendor.

Funnily enough, about an hour ago, I was debating in my mind what I wanted to eat for dinner tonight, so upon smelling those empanadas, I quickly rushed over to buy a few. Lol!

After picking up supper, I started walking towards the subway, and just when I was getting ready to walk down the stairs to enter the train station, I noticed a guy standing in a navy blue tent waving at me as if he knew me.

He looked familiar, so I walked over to his Drink Alchemy booth (slide-8), and I came to find out that I didn't know him for a can of paint! He tried his best to sell me something but to no avail.

Finally, I made it down to the subway platform, hopped on the train, and finished writing this journal entry on the quick two-stop ride to the World Trade Center—the end. 😊

Have a lovely evening.

#mindfulness #motivation
 

Zuccotti Park

When I woke up early this morning, it was raining heavily, so instead of heading outside for my usual Saturday morning stroll around #nyc, I elected to go to the gym and jog on the treadmill to get my cardio in.

As you know, I often use my early morning excursions around the city to reflect or spontaneously write about something that inspires me along the way.

Since I didn't have the opportunity to partake in my normal routine, I figured that I would flip through my photo app to see if any of my pictures would capture my imagination and inspire me to write a new journal entry.

So after walking for six minutes and eleven seconds, I opened up my Google photos app, started scrolling through one of my photo albums, and eventually stopped on some pictures that I took of the Joy of Life Sculpture in Zuccotti Park.

Then, I began concentrating on one of the pics, and without batting an eye, I mentally transported myself back into that moment, when I was walking down Broadway, and then let my imagination run wild. Let's do it!

Indeed, it was a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon, and lots of people were outside enjoying the gorgeous weather. I recall walking by the 70-foot-tall orange sculpture and saying to myself, what a fascinating piece of art.

Immediately after having that thought, I walked over for a closer view and then took my time appreciating the beauty and uniqueness of its design.

In so doing, I could not help but notice the clouds and buildings reflecting from the skyscraper, and the sleek glass panel design, which was now in my direct line of sight.

I remember standing there mesmerized for a couple of minutes because I thought both the atmosphere and imagery in the background were extraordinary.

More specifically, the picture-perfect blend of vibrant colors with the beautiful blue sky above, coupled with the terrific sounds of the city. That was reason enough for me to pause and fully embrace this moment. Love it!

After coming out of this pleasant state, I walked over to a hot dog stand and brought a hot pretzel and a bottle of peach Perrier sparkling water. Then, I eased into the park, sat down on one of the many benches, spread a little spicy mustard on my pretzel, and sat there eating it with my fellow New Yorkers and out-of-towners.

I must have sat there for well over an hour, admiring my surroundings while being lost in thought for about twenty minutes straight.

When I was ready to leave, I stood up, walked back to Broadway, and looked straight down the block. I quickly spotted the clock on and saw it was almost two o'clock, which meant I would be a little late for my lunch date.

I rushed to a nearby restaurant to have lunch with a dear friend, our monthly catch-up, and sushi time together. Lol!

And with that, my treadmill walk and this journal entry are officially complete. Now it's time to lift some weights and work on my abs.

Have a fun weekend! 😊

#mindfulness #motivation