There is a draw, an attraction, a gravitational force exerted by large cities. There is energy in the air. A scent of opportunity tickles the nose as we breathe. Each time we fill our lungs, the diverse odors cause different thoughts to fill our minds. Large cities are filled with thousands of people with a myriad of things going on in their lives. Each person has a story to tell and most of them do not even realize the impact they have on each other. As each person goes about their self-perceived busy life, they bump and push each other in imperceptible, but significant ways.
The energy in the air is tangible and yet invisible to the casual observer. Without even speaking, the crowds increase each other’s enthusiasm for life and for exploration. Over 10% of Americans own or have started a business that is currently in operation. Another 10% wish they could or think they can, but have not yet done so. Then there is the 50% of the population who think they could do a better job of running the company, division or business unit they work in. As we look at the crowds around us and consider this, we see thousands of people pursuing the dream, and realize that this is the font of the force, the rhythm, the aura of achievement.
Opportunity brings both happiness and dismay. Chance brings chickens one day and feathers the next. What we do with those deliveries is our choice. Without opportunity, life would be very boring; in fact, it would be lifeless. Driven by fear or the result of a traumatic wound there are those who seek the shelter of an unchanging existence. Most of these people retire to quiet places to subsist in their constant and timid extinction. Life is meant lived not endured. We are happier when we are thriving not just surviving. Chasing opportunities that are more abundant when people are more abundant is one reason we are drawn to sights, sounds, and smells of cities.
The diversity of people in a city brings a randomness into our path that makes the journey more enjoyable, more exhilarating, and more electrifying. Viewpoints that would not have crossed our minds are thrust upon us with increased frequency and vigor. Choices that would not have seemed possible become commonplace. It is easier to find balance in our lives when the range of possibilities, the variety of opportunities, the assortment of energies is diverse.
The regulation of genes in our bodies is a function of the frequency of the correct combination of proteins coming together at the right time. The pathway we choose to follow, or on which we are thrust, is a product of the combination of people we encounter and the experiences we have with them. We can all see profound and subtle influences that may not have occurred had we been in a different place and time. When we position ourselves in places with greater densities of influence, the greater the chance that these influences will touch us. To paraphrase Frost; how act or react to those influences makes all the difference.
One can always retreat to the quiet solitude of small towns and tranquil mountain communities. In these places, the influences are fewer and the mind has time to process the effects it has received. This manner of withdrawal can be overused and confused with taking control. Too often this respite is actually a retreat, it is an attempt at avoiding confrontation and the need to make decisions that are required when pressures are applied from many sides. Recharging the batteries, taking stock, and getting your head on straight are important, but so are staying in the game and being a part of the action.
We all need to be on stage, to see and be seen, as often as possible. This is difficult to do in places where there are few stages or places where we can be noticed. We must surround ourselves with the smell of coffee, car exhaust, and creativity. We have to breathe deeply the scents that constitute the perfume of progress. As we inhale the city smells, we know we are surrounded by the right elements for success: energy, opportunity, and diversity.
The energy in the air is tangible and yet invisible to the casual observer. Without even speaking, the crowds increase each other’s enthusiasm for life and for exploration. Over 10% of Americans own or have started a business that is currently in operation. Another 10% wish they could or think they can, but have not yet done so. Then there is the 50% of the population who think they could do a better job of running the company, division or business unit they work in. As we look at the crowds around us and consider this, we see thousands of people pursuing the dream, and realize that this is the font of the force, the rhythm, the aura of achievement.
Opportunity brings both happiness and dismay. Chance brings chickens one day and feathers the next. What we do with those deliveries is our choice. Without opportunity, life would be very boring; in fact, it would be lifeless. Driven by fear or the result of a traumatic wound there are those who seek the shelter of an unchanging existence. Most of these people retire to quiet places to subsist in their constant and timid extinction. Life is meant lived not endured. We are happier when we are thriving not just surviving. Chasing opportunities that are more abundant when people are more abundant is one reason we are drawn to sights, sounds, and smells of cities.
The diversity of people in a city brings a randomness into our path that makes the journey more enjoyable, more exhilarating, and more electrifying. Viewpoints that would not have crossed our minds are thrust upon us with increased frequency and vigor. Choices that would not have seemed possible become commonplace. It is easier to find balance in our lives when the range of possibilities, the variety of opportunities, the assortment of energies is diverse.
The regulation of genes in our bodies is a function of the frequency of the correct combination of proteins coming together at the right time. The pathway we choose to follow, or on which we are thrust, is a product of the combination of people we encounter and the experiences we have with them. We can all see profound and subtle influences that may not have occurred had we been in a different place and time. When we position ourselves in places with greater densities of influence, the greater the chance that these influences will touch us. To paraphrase Frost; how act or react to those influences makes all the difference.
One can always retreat to the quiet solitude of small towns and tranquil mountain communities. In these places, the influences are fewer and the mind has time to process the effects it has received. This manner of withdrawal can be overused and confused with taking control. Too often this respite is actually a retreat, it is an attempt at avoiding confrontation and the need to make decisions that are required when pressures are applied from many sides. Recharging the batteries, taking stock, and getting your head on straight are important, but so are staying in the game and being a part of the action.
We all need to be on stage, to see and be seen, as often as possible. This is difficult to do in places where there are few stages or places where we can be noticed. We must surround ourselves with the smell of coffee, car exhaust, and creativity. We have to breathe deeply the scents that constitute the perfume of progress. As we inhale the city smells, we know we are surrounded by the right elements for success: energy, opportunity, and diversity.
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