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Hi, Wednesday. I just got back from a spin class that felt a bit like Fire Island circa 1992- needless to say it was fabulous- all Crystal Watersesque and such. Loved it.
So check it- the past few weeks have been a real education for me in the power of dual thinking. Lest you think I've become some sort of Scientologist or some other cult member, I haven't. I'm simply adjusting my state of mind to accommodate my new life in New York.
In Miami, we lived in a massive apartment that was a blank canvas- there was no piece of furniture that was too large, too overstuffed, or too grand that would not fit in there. My closet was a behemoth- and everything I owned- from clothes to dishes to Moroccan leather chairs fit beautifully in the space. In many ways, the sky was the limit in terms of how big I could think when it came to my living space- think go big, stay home. It was a lovely feeling, but the rest of my life- the ambition, the need to experience excitement and stimulation, and the potential to network and such had me feeling small. Miami is surely a beautiful place, but in terms of living one's dreams, well, not so much. Sure it's possible if your dreams involve palm trees and clear skies and warm, balmy days, but I'm not there yet. Mine still involve working with amazing people, doing great things, and feeling the energy of the city whose hold on me was still so strong after all those years. So in Miami, I could think big in terms of space, but small in terms of possibilities. Cut to now.
In New York, you've got to think small to think big. We moved into a large apartment for sure, but its' a series of small rooms where our furniture feels a bit like Stonehenged scale. David and I panicked at first- how on Earth could we make this place a home with what we have? The answer was- we couldn't (my friend Kat wondered why we schlepped all our stuff from Miami, and she was more than right). So we had to think small. Slowly, we were able to see the potential of this place and the power of thinking small when it comes to living spaces in New York- we purged ourselves of old paperbacks (did I really need three copies of Valley of the Dolls?), and we are finally seeing some bites on our pieces that we placed on Craigslist, after we dropped the prices to bargain basement rates (again- thinking small in every way, including the money we will make to get these monster pieces out of the way).
We had to scale down our thinking to make this place work- instead of overstuffed and comfy we're going sleek and midcenturyish. Instead of high pieces, we're going with low. It's humbling to purge oneself of all of these massive things and get small. It actually feels pretty good- because I absolutely despise clutter- I can barely watch "Hoarders" without having a panic attack. So there you go, thinking small. Now here comes the big part.
So here I am, in New York, my spirit city and the place that makes me feel grounded, secure, and inspired. I no longer have to worry about driving around town in search of adventure (I am not so much of a driver)- I have everything right outside of my door or a quick subway ride away. When I walk on the Promenade and look out at the city, the giant scale of the buildings makes me feel safe. The fact that I can meet anyone, anywhere for lunch, dinner, or drinks is massive. The potential to partner with the best talent around is huge. There's no end to the possibilities of doing great work here- so that's the BIG part. It's worth sacrificing some dusty old tomes and some furniture to be able to think big, and that's that- we simply had to take it down ten notches to dream the bigger dream. There's the power of dual thinking, children. In today's multitasking polyuniverse, it's not so hard to think two ways at once. I'm most humbled by the duality of this life in the city, and I'm embracing both ends of the spectrum here, and so should you. If you're having a problem that needs fixing or you're stuck in a rut- try taking opposing poles or attitudes and embrace them both- it's almost like a pros and cons type thing, but better. It's just taking both sides and making them work...and that's that. In New York, you simply have to think small to think big. And that's what I've got for you today, here in the chilly and healthily bipolar 718- all the love that's fit to write, cause there's always two sides to every story...XO