Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. – Eckhart Tolle
A couple months ago, while I was on an intense project at work, I started reminding myself every day to breathe and appreciate my surroundings. At the time, I was lucky to get four hours of sleep a night, spent nearly every evening eating dinner alone in my cubicle, barely saw my roommate or talked to anyone outside of work, and felt like I was slowly burning out. Before this post turns into a pity party, what this experience really taught me was the ability to reframe my mindset and remain resilient during challenging times, which I’ve found relevant now more than ever.
Like all things, I knew this situation was temporary. My project would eventually be over and in the meantime, I couldn’t dwell on it too much if I wanted to survive (maybe even thrive?) at my job. Each morning, I would roll out of bed, call a Via (Uber-pool-like van, for those not familiar), and cruise down FDR Drive to my office in FiDi. Half the time I would doze off during my commute, because I’ve never been a morning person, especially before my coffee and after weeks of sleep deprivation. However, some mornings, I found myself peeking my eyes open just enough to admire the scenery as I passed by the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Manhattan bridges. One day, as I glanced out the window, I realized, “wow, I live in New York…”
Now, I know this doesn’t sound very profound, but amidst moving to the city, ramping up on my project, and traveling for trainings and holidays, I found myself overwhelmed with the city and forgotten why I used to love it. I was suddenly reminded of how I’d once spent a summer in New York, playing dress up for my corporate internship, sneaking into popup events and fashion shows, and running along the same riverside paths (as documented on my Strava account — ignore the slow pace).
For the remaining months of my project, I captured the views outside my taxi window, amidst judging glances from my drivers when the sound of my camera flash would accidentally go off, and admired the morning basketball and tai chi crews. During late nights, I watched as the city lights blurred together and reminded myself that despite any stress, exhaustion, or loneliness I was experiencing, the city still remains as beautiful as ever.
On the last night of my project, after wrapping up some analyses and final touches to the deck with a couple of hard ciders, I nearly teared up during my drive home. As a got out of the vehicle, I was greeted by a neighbor sitting on the front doorsteps, playing the guitar, lit up by the street lamps. I instantly smiled, thinking about how fortunate I am to be living in this city that most people only watch movies and dream about, being challenged to grow in my career, and knowing that I’m capable of rising up to those challenges.
With everything that is going on these days, remember that it’s temporary and will eventually be over. Some people may be in situations that are more dire than others, some may have been in facing their own trials far before this crisis struck, some may be missing a sense of normalcy or experiencing loneliness, and some may be okay. Regardless of where you stand, the sun will still rise and fall each day, the flowers will still bloom, and life will go on. It’s easy to dwell on the situation, but there’s also so much to be grateful for. I smile at the little things these days — spending time with family, Zoom calls with friends, discovering digital communities and events, supporting restaurants as they feed the frontline and elderly community (through organizations like Feed the Frontlines and @heartofdinner), and walks through the park. It’s okay to feel anger, sadness, frustration, anxiety, or all sorts of emotions at a time like this — it’s only natural as humans. Let yourself sit with those feelings, but remind yourself that there is still so much beauty that exists and there will be better days ahead.
