Finding
a seat in the midst of rush hour, purchasing a daily round-trip train pass, and
being forced to listen to loud phone conversations nearby are only a few
instances that occur in a commuters morning. Thankfully with my headphones in
hand, I am able to tune the chaos out and replace the loud phone conversations
with my music (particularly Lorde at the moment). These past two weeks I have had to commute in and out of the
city for appointments and activities for my boss. Commuting has given me a new
appreciation for what my father has to go through everyday, as well as some of
my fellow colleagues. While I wait for the morning sun to disappear as it is
replaced with the darkness from the tunnel, curious thoughts about the
strangers around me fill my mind. Thinking about my day ahead, I wonder what my
fellow commuters on the train are doing when they enter the city. I wonder
about their jobs, their lives, and whether or not they find this mode of transportation
relaxing or stressful. Although my commute these past two weeks have had
moments of rush and stress, focusing on my day ahead and letting my imagination
run free has become a part of my routine during my commute. Rather than letting
the aggravation of my commute get to me, I learned to make use of it as my time
to reflect and be just another stranger and commuter on the train.
My
commute by train to New York will be replaced with the subway, as I will be
moving into my apartment this week. As I prepare for the move, I cannot help
but think about my move to Philadelphia last year. I reflect on my past and I
am amazed at how quickly time goes by. The other day while I was blogging I
stumbled upon a quote that resonated with me, and I am sure it will with many
of you as well. “Time is a sneaky little
thing. In the way it tricks you into thinking you always have enough but you
never do.” Rather than counting down and measuring my life with time, I have
been trying to make it a goal to focus on the present. In the past, like many
of us, it can be so easy to look to the future and stress about it. With the
help of my morning commute, I have realized how important it is to focus on the
present, because more time is not always promised.
Hope everyone has a happy Monday!
Xx
To most people, commuting is a very stressful part of one's day. Whether the destination be work or school, the commute to and from one's particular destination is often associated with haste and urgency, for obvious reasons. For myself, on the other hand, I like to take this time to reflect not only on the day ahead, but the present moment, the few moments of quiet in my mind before entering the fast-paced environment at work. Driving to and from work used to be one of my favorite parts of the day, listening to my music and taking the time to enjoy my alone time, the short amount of time where it is just me and my own thoughts, before the rush of the work day begins. It is often moments where we lose our sense of time where we find the most bliss. It is easy for us to get lost in time, to get caught up in future dates marked on the calendar, especially with the severity of deadlines in the workplace, but at the end of the day, keeping your calm and focusing on the 'now' will always be your sweet serenity, especially in situations where you feel the need to panic! Always focus on your tasks at hand, and take one step at a time!
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I also really like how you used '11:13 AM' as your title. Initially, when I read the title I was very curious to read your blog post to see what the significance of the time was, not realizing until after reading your post that it directly correlates with your message of focusing on the present moment. Very creative usage of your title to reflect the literal sense of the present moment!
ReplyDeleteThank you Adria- I am happy you enjoyed it! xx
DeleteCommuting seems to be really hard! When I received my job at Michael Kors I was considering commuting too but I decide it was but too much work. That is amazing that you are able to tune everyone else out it can sometimes prove challenging to do so. It seems like you are making the best out of a hard situation and I wish you the best of luck. Something to consider passing the time is reading, I know that if I have a good book in hand I can tune anything out! Try to keep a positive attitude about the situation and remember that it will be over soon! =]
ReplyDelete