Places that Fuel Us

𝙄 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙔𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙢𝙚—𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.

And while I’ve lived in California for enough decades to finally admit I now carry cultural traits from both places, I will always feel a strong sense of rejuvenation when I am in New York.

For me there is such a beauty that comes with the sort of vitality inherent with New York. From Central Park to the waterfront on Riverside, to the bustle of Times Square and the ease with which I can pick up last-minute tickets to a Broadway show, a game at the Garden (Madison Square, that is), or a concert at The Beacon, there’s always fuel for my senses.

In a single morning, I can walk 10,000+ steps, exchange stories with a Montenegrin doorman, and share a laugh with a Jamaican comedy show usher. I can see children dressed for Purim outside the Jewish Community Center across the street and inhale the scent in the air of hot pretzels, knishes and franks, while I pass by the seedy bar just next door to the best Greek food outside of Greece.

There’s the direct, in-your-face approach of the woman late for her destination and stuck waiting with a mob to cross the street on a congested crosswalk, frustrated that someone might cut in front of her, and there’s the soft-spoken barista from the Bronx whose spirit comes to life the moment I mention the Knicks-Warriors game last night. (Go Steph!)

These are just a few scenes that come to mind from this visit, and that’s the magic of NYC for me, and perhaps for you too, wherever you find your source of renewal.

Whether you’ve travelled to a place (literally or figuratively) once or a hundred times, with every new experience comes opportunities to let your senses be present, and to see the world and its amazingly unique people through a new lens; a chance to invigorate creativity and connection to whatever fuels you. And when you are fueled in such a way, everything else seems to look a whole lot brighter!

Just like NYC, leadership (and life) is about staying open to the moments that shift your perspective, fuel your creativity, and bring renewed energy to what matters most. The best leaders, like the best travelers, keep their senses open—always noticing, always learning, and finding inspiration in the world around them.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘀?