Thinking Time at the Park

I began my Sunday sitting on a bench at a park in lower Manhattan, reflecting on the past couple of days and then planning for the week ahead. With the temp outside at a pleasant 71 degrees, it was easy to get comfortable, and the more and more I became relaxed, it was just a matter of time before I would drift into a flow!

Sensing that I was minutes away from entering into a beautiful meditative state when my creative thoughts are sure to be flowing in abundance, I took a few seconds to stretch out my arms, then placed my hands behind my head, followed by leaning back on the bench.

Usually, in this situation, I would have instrumental music playing softly in my ears from my AirPods or Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones. However, on this gorgeous morning, I chose to concentrate on the lovely sounds of nature instead, with my eyes shut tight.

Since I was very close to a fountain spraying water that appears to be flying at least 15 feet up in the air, I also used this time to fully appreciate the cool mist coming from the fountain that was gently landing on my body.

I ended up dozing off on the park bench for about 30 seconds, and I know this because I recall feeling my head drop a tad bit and my phone beginning to slip out of my hand before catching it.

After becoming aware of my surroundings, I noticed more people at the park, so I was ready to leave and go to another spot.

As a result, I got up and started walking towards the nearby Group of Four Trees sculpture to resume my thinking time while sipping on a fresh cup of tea. I arrived there in no time because the area I wanted to settle was only two blocks away.

Since it was early, few people were at this new location, which was ideal because I wanted to chill in a quiet place with little foot traffic. That’s very hard to do in the Big Apple. Lol!

Next, I grabbed an orange chair from the café by the Group of Four Trees and positioned it underneath the sculpture. I sat there capturing my thoughts into my journal app on my iPhone to the bewilderment of some onlookers nearby.

I finished journaling my thoughts within thirty minutes, and once complete, I felt centered. Love it!

Then, I calmly stood up, picked up the chair, and returned it to the coffee shop. While leaving the café, I deliberately stopped for a moment to take a few pics, which I’ve shared below.

An hour later, I was in the gym on the elliptical, working out and simultaneously writing this post.

Closing thought: I’ve seen much content in my LinkedIn feed on mindfulness and the value of intentionally scheduling thinking time over the past couple of weeks. Moreover, I’ve enjoyed reading several of your posts on this topic, learning from your experiences and recommended best practices. Thank you!

I look forward to growing with you and inspiring each other to maximize our personal and professional development on this platform.

Have a relaxing Sunday and a fantastic week ahead. 😊

#mindfulness #motivation, #nyc