Sometimes I love my life, sometimes I don’t.

In those moments when I get down, I remind myself that it’s not the life you have, it’s what you do with it.

I took this picture from the top of The Standard Hotel in New York City.

From there, you can look out over the glittering city, which always causes a warm flush of gratitude for my experiences and the opportunity to be here.

Turn and walk to the other side, and you can observe cabs whizzing up town and downtown with their fares and trace the white reflections of New Jersey skyscrapers in the black Hudson.

What are all those millions of people doing out there in the city tonight?

New York City sometimes has a way of making you feel like you’re missing out, especially at night. There’s always a better party, a prettier dress, a more expensive bauble, a more fascinating person to meet, a more prestigious career and more ridiculous story.

You never have to go to bed, if you don’t want to…you never have to stop.

But there’s also a lot of sadness and grime here, which is easy to forget at night as you barrel toward the next party. After dusk, when the grey of pavement and steel fade to inky black and the windows turn to gold squares of light, you can’t see the grime, just the glitter.

I think it’s important to remember that getting a more impressive job or hanging out with “cooler” people or getting into that more desirable club doesn’t lead to happiness.

It’s appreciating what’s been set before you that does. And remembering that this–this party, this loneliness, this elation, this hangover, this beautiful view, this disappointment…this too shall pass.

~

Ed: Bryonie Wise

 

 

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