I was a country mouse in a big city last week.
Actually, I was in THE BIG CITY last week, spending the last few days in New York city with my parents before they make the long journey home to Thailand.
While enjoying my first morning walk in Central Park, I couldn’t help but notice all the active people around me.
People were running, cycling, walking, roller blading, strolling their babies, walking to work. You name an activity and they were doing it all around me!
Impressed by what I was witnessing, I texted my New Yorker friend, Amy, who I was going to see later that day.
“Why is everyone is so fit here?!”
It was a rhetorical question.
“Yah…we walk everywhere!!” Amy replied.
“I am stressed out just looking at them – everyone seems so serious!” I added.
It was true; I am no longer used to the city pace of life and I was feeling uneasy because everyone seemed SO busy, so fit, so fast.
“Oh, don’t look at them! Nobody pays attention to anyone in the city. Everyone is doing their own thing – no need to look or worry!” she reassured me.
And just like that, I let go of whatever story I had in my head about these super active people who seemed tormented.
That was just a story I created about them in my mind which tormented nobody else but me.
For all I know they may have been enjoying themselves! Heck, I was there with them loving my daily 10K steps.
You may not be in Central Park right now, but if you find yourself at all stressed about what you think others are doing or feeling, I grant you permission, as my friend Amy did, to let go of any stories (about other people) you may be creating in your own mind!
And if you want to be like a New Yorker: walk everywhere and mind your own business.
Life is less stressful that way!
