A Letter from Chris Suarez

A RUN THROUGH NEW YORK

This week I spent a few days in New York, having the opportunity to learn from and mastermind with some of the brightest minds in business. I'll return to Oregon thinking just a little bit different. One of the unexpected wins for me was to get out on my old running routes through the city. I was able to run across the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. I was able to run up the West Side Highway along the Hudson River. And of course I was able to run the High Line, through Central Park and weave my way through a few of my favorite neighborhoods. I booked just under 25 miles of running while in the city this weekend.  

And to be honest, I didn’t run for my health. On the contrary, I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of cardio in my workouts lately. But while in New York, running allows me to feel small and unimportant. So I ran for perspective. There has always been something about New York that allows me to feel anonymous while being surrounded by millions of people. As I ran through the streets, at times weaving through groups of tourists, dodging the dog walkers, and ducking past the obligatory selfie-taker, there is something about being surrounded by other people, while being completely unknown. There is something inherently healthy and grounding to be completely unimportant, while being surrounded by incredibly significant landmarks, architecture, history, and people. For me there is perspective gained when I am here.  

As polar opposite as it may seem, there is incredible similarity to how I feel on an early morning trail run in the woods - completely surrounded by trees and without another human in sight. Popularity has risen around Forest Therapy, of which I am an advocate. Based on the ancient Japanese practice of “shinrin-yoku”  or “forest bathing”, this therapy is said to ease stress, eliminate worry, help us to relax and think more clearly, improve our energy, and rejuvenate us. Aside from the physical benefits of fresh air, the smell of the trees, exposure to filtered sunlight, and overall sense of connectedness to the earth, there are mental benefits. I believe the realization of just how small we are in relationship to trees, just how short we live in relationship to trees, and just how weak we are in relationship to trees is incredibly humbling, grounding, and perspective shaping.

For me, running in the forest or running through the city provides those same benefits. It is why I own a home with acres of forest in my backyard. I walk through that forest at least once a day.  

This weekend, as I ran past buildings almost 2,000 feet high and almost 100 stories tall, I was reminded just how impressive humans can be and what they can create. Modern feats of architecture, art, and blending steel and glass with parks and water is fascinating and motivating. At the very same time, I realize just how small I am. Just how small each of us is. Whether standing in the middle of towering buildings or a dense forest, the feeling is the same for me.

I am reminded to do big things.  But be small.  

I am reminded to have an impact.  But be small. 

I am reminded to live large.  But be small. 

Being small allows us to see the things around us, appreciate the people around us, and acknowledge the value around us. Being small doesn’t mean we lose self-worth, don’t feel valuable, or are unimportant. Being small doesn’t mean we can’t have impact, can’t find purpose, or that we feel insignificant. However it allows us to put ourselves in perspective. It allows us to acknowledge the impressiveness of the people and the world around us. It allows us to continue to want to contribute in a meaningful way. It allow us to put value on humility.

We can all do big things. But we are all small. We can all have massive impact. But we are small.  

A recent Australian study showed that the longer people were out in nature, the smaller their face became in the selfies that they took. What does this mean? A cross-section of subjects were sent out into nature week after week to get out of the city and take photographs with only their phone. When they first went into nature, the selfies on their phone were entirely of their own face. They were “selfies” after all.  They were excited about what “they” were doing. But as the weeks went on, even though they continued to take selfies, their face became smaller and smaller week after week. They began to focus the picture on the tree or the leaves behind themselves. They began to include the landscapes or the forest or the water behind themselves. Ultimately, as they were immersed in an impressive environment, they began to focus less on themselves, and more on their surroundings. They were no longer the center of attention or the star of the show or the most important subject in the photo.

The same is true of the forest, the city, the mountains, the ocean, and even your boardroom. Placing yourself in impressive surroundings and with impressive people will allow us to take the attention off of ourselves, and focus on what we can learn from the environment that we have chosen. Find a physical environment, a cerebral environment, a social environment, and a business environment that becomes your forest or your city.

With that, I’m off for a walk - through New York City.

Chris