With the daily grind of a hectic lifestyle, we sometimes get wrapped up in ourselves tighter than a vermicelli spring roll (and you know how tight those can be if you’ve ever had this unique Vietnamese appetizer…yum).

For those of us who have ever run a business, planned a wedding, managed a classroom of curious 1st graders, or simply gotten through a day of raising children, you know how your day can begin and end in a flash. Sometimes we get so involved with ourselves that we forget to look around us – a bustling community where a million other people are doing their thing each day.

This is one of those moments when you just stop and go, “Hey, there is a world that exists outside of mine!”

During my travels in Sydney, I had this view of an apartment complex just across from my hotel in the CBD (central business district). I stopped to gaze at each little window, saw how each square contained people that were up to their daily shenanigans…and it was so neat to revel in this. I looked from square to square and saw that the people in square 1A were sitting down to a lovely dinner, while the people in square 1B were busting a move on Dance Central on Xbox Kinect. In square 3B, a lady was sitting on her balcony, reading and petting her cat.

Something about this scene intrigued me. I suppose it reminded me that sometimes we just have to stop and breathe for a moment, so that we can appreciate the rest of the world around us.

As much as we spiral into our own lives, it’s nice to just look outside of our little square, even if just for a moment.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Chan

P.S. Just to be clear, I’m wasn’t trying to be pervy. Don’t go there…just in case you did. =X