Pressing Pause

A few months ago, I decided to #presspause and stop wearing headphones on the NYC Subway. Why? Because, even though I LOVE my tunes and podcasts, I recognized that living in MY own world, listening to MY music, thinking about MY schedule, plans, and agenda, was s t r e s s i n g  me out!

Instead of plugging my ears, I decided to #tunein to the world around me. Listening to the sounds of the city, the people next to me, the laughter on the other end of the train, the languages being spoken. All of these special sounds remind me of the magic of New York City. 

In fact, some of my closest friends, and contacts have been made ON the subway, as I am more present, aware, and open to meeting others around me. 

I wouldn't say this was an easy choice, especially because I miss living my life like an epic music video, but let's face it, [ change ] is never easy. However, what continues to drive me to make this choice, is recognizing that the everyday sounds of New York City are the gateway to experiencing more in the city the never sleeps.

I now connect eagerly to the world around me, instead of the world  a t t a c h e d  to me.

I still own headphones, and yes, I still definitely still do listen to groovy tunes, however, the time I spend on the subway, is the time I let my brain experience the world through sound.

This adopted choice has reminded me that being present is a practice without rules. All you have to do is [ make it work for you. ]

How do you carve out time to #strikeabalance and #presspause ?