A calm before during the storm

...find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many people. Go down some dead ends and explore some dark alleys. Try everything. Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life.

-Lawrence K. Fish

New York City means a lot to me. Being an avid city wayfarer and having New York so close to home, I have always been keen to observe the city's people and surroundings that produce the uniqueness of New York that we all fall in love with. One of the greatest Metropolitan capitals of the World, New York City, never ceases to amaze me with its jungle-like atmosphere and asymmetrical city-line profile that seems altogether faultless and true. There is no doubt that New York City's designation as the 'City That Never Sleeps', is right-on-target.

Recently I moved into a new apartment in downtown Manhattan with my brother. I feel a whole new world has opened up for me; a new future with fresh job experience, people to meet, and a place to call my home. I am blessed and extremely grateful to be where I am right now. Working a part-time job as a cashier and server at a restaurant, I come into contact with a myriad of New York City's inhabitants and visitors. I am no stranger to the nervous and uneasy energy that seems to exude from many of the people who I engage with each day.

As I reflect on my experiences with these individuals who seem restless and worried, I recognize that we all experience certain levels of anxiety and worry from time to time. We all get a bit fidgety when an uncomfortable thought enters our minds and all of us have our personal fears. When I'm feeling out of character and distracted, I like to take several deep breaths, gather my thoughts, and pinpoint the reasons for these feelings. Am I tired? Did I eat right? Am I over-worked? Is there a toxic relationship in my life that is negatively affecting my mood? Once this mental-awareness kicks in, I am instantly more aware of my own thoughts. This is my way of proactively changing my negative thoughts into positive ones.

You may be asking yourself now, "Why the hell does this blog sound like self-help book?"

I really hate to sound like a therapist in this post and I, for one, am in no position to be giving out advice on how to calm down. This is one experience in my daily life that I've been aware of, reflected on, and wanted to write about for awhile.

What's for lunch?

Marinated and grilled balsamic-soy jumbo shrimp with asparagus stalks, broccoli stalks, and yellow bell peppers, accompanied with some coconut oil, chunks of pineapple, and avocado. 

(the sweet-salty contrast, pretty fuckin' great)

-MJ