There’s a saying that goes, “Leave California before you get too soft and leave New York before you get too hard.” Being back in NYC a couple of days, I realize that we can get a lot further in New York if we soften. The truth is that New York is tougher than any of us. It’s tougher than all of us put together. Fight it all you want; in the end it’s going to win. It always has.
To get along here, to delight in all the magic that this place has to offer, we have to flex and adjust. To stay centered, we have to find and maintain our own center. It’s challenging, but possible. As we lift our heads up from the pavement, as we let go, we can really see all of the gifts around us. Then instead of being worn out by New York, we can take its nonstop energy and make it ours. The beat of the city becomes the beat of our own hearts if only we will let it in.
Christa Avampato 