In one of Donald Miller’s books – it was either Scary Close, or A Million Miles in a Thousand Years – he leads the reader through a scenario of flying over Manhattan. Miller describes the view of the hundreds of densely packed skyscrapers that appear to be touching each other, the thousands of tiny vehicles one can see through the little cracks between the buildings, and the complete lack of nature. He leads us from south to north - through Battery Park, Downtown, and then Midtown. He does a beautiful job of illustrating the massive greenery of Central Park, and the intense contract between the grayish buildings, and the vibrant grass and trees in the park.
Miller then takes us in a different direction. He sums up the productivity of the city. He presents Manhattan as the most creative and important city in history. He runs through the density of the developed areas, and the dollar-value of the properties because of the limited space. He builds such a strong case that the reader begins to ask themselves the question before Miller presents it: “Why don’t they just build on Central Park?”
Central Park allows the rest of this amazing city to breathe. It gives space to a community without space. It stimulates thought and offers relaxation. Even if you’re 20 blocks away, you feel that space, and you can almost smell the oxygen being delivered by the vegetation. Without Central Park, Miller implies that Manhattan would’ve caved into itself decades ago.
(Well, that’s how I remember it. You should check it out yourself – both books are very good.)
I love this story. I often think of it when deciding on my activity. A couple hours ago, I had to choose between two flight options (coincidentally, to New York). The early flight would be better for me because I’d be able to book a lunch with a customer or prospect in the city. The later one doesn’t get me there until 3:30 or so, but would allow me to attend the first part of my daughter’s pre-k Thanksgiving brunch. I thought to myself: “This brunch with my daughter is my Central Park.” Seriously, those words travelled through my head, and it helped me make my decision – see you at 3:30, NYC.
How about you? Most of my readers are business owners, sales leaders, or sales professionals. You’re competitive, ambitious, and a little imbalanced. You’re always looking for an edge – a way to hack your routine, and become a little bit more efficient. Every day, you probably think about all that accessible land in your Central Park and how many skyscrapers you could develop. Don’t do it. Keep your Central Park massive and stunning. If you do, then the rest of your world will have room to breathe, and it will thrive beyond anything you could imagine.
