My New York Zen Moment

Last week I had a zen moment while in New York. You see, the word zen was derived from the Japanese and means "waking up to the present moment...perceiving the moment exactly as it is, rather than through the filter of our own ideas, opinions, etc."

I moved to Columbus from New York City and make frequent trips back to visit family and conduct business, so I still consider myself a New York City girl. Sometimes. On my recent trip, I got my zen moment while driving to Staten Island. We stopped for a moment to get some gas and the picture above is what awaited us. You wouldn't have believed that you could get such peaceful scenery in the middle of it all, had you seen the environment.

Despite the hustle and bustle of the city, despite the fact that this was a tiny and old convenience-store-turned-gas-station, despite the traffic and narrow streets that awaited us, this is the scenic and peaceful sight that greeted me once I parked the car to grab a bottle of water. I immediately gained a sense of calm, took a deep breath, and took the moment for what it was (if I told you about everything that had transpired before that moment, you too would appreciate my moment. But it's a long story).

My New York Zen moment.

I was reading the other day about how Alex Witt, MSNBC anchor found her Zen moment. It was on a drive along the Santa Monica freeway, where it connects to the Pacific Coast Highway. She describes the feeling of going through a tiny tunnel and then all of a sudden being met with an extensive coastline that stretched north. That was her California Zen moment.

Goes to show, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, you can always find your zen moment.

About the Author: Cheryl Isaac is a Startup Business Planner & Owner of Isaac Business Services, The Business Startup Company. She is also the creator of The 12MonthBizPlan.com; an online business planning center where business owners can work with a personal advisor; for up to a year, to plan their new business.