Welcome To The Neighborhood
Sometimes, all you have to do is change the words, and then it all makes sense.
I’ve always been bothered by the new age aphorism “you create your own reality.”
On one hand, there’s some truth to the statement. We have a lot of control over the circumstances of our lives - location, careers, relationships, etc.
On the other hand, it kinda doesn’t make sense. No matter what, we are still subject to permanent biological, physical, economic, and social constraints.
Our day to day realities still takes place on planet earth, no matter what galactic vision quest whatever any particular hippie group went off on.
And so, as I’ve learned in these situations, it might just be a matter of communication.
In my opinion, “create your own reality” can be translated into something a bit more…pragmatic:
Choose Your Own Neighborhood.
Because indeed, the neighborhood that we live in defines our day to day realities.
It dictates the weather, who we spontaneously run into every day, the stores we shop at, access to nature, and so much more.
Living in a neighborhood in New York City versus rural France versus Northern India? Yeah, that’s a pretty dramatic difference.
So we get to choose our reality…kind of.
Depends on how you look at.
Welcome to the neighborhood is my primary theme for 2023.
I am increasingly fascinated by the “hidden physics” of residential neighborhoods.
The unspoken social norms, the politics, the culture, and yes - the unseen secrets that hide behind the walls of elegant homes or tall apartment buildings.
The neighborhood is the essential building block of our lives. And yes, we get to choose.
So as I explore, I have a lot of questions:
What does it mean to be a good neighbor?
How do you find the right neighborhood for your life?
How do our neighborhood influence us overtime?
What are neighborhoods missing that I can personally help build?
Where are the adventures awaiting…right in my backyard?
So to close it out - create your own reality by consciously choosing your neighborhood.
I like exploring spirituality, but sometimes it feels a bit airy fairy or ungrounded.
I’ve learned that my job is to translate.
Take language that doesn’t make sense and find the practical message.
Choosing your neighborhood is actionable and makes a whole lot more sense to me.
The takeaway is that we have a lot of control over our lives, and are empowered to choose how we spend our time on this planet.
Welcome To The Neighborhood.