As usual, I got off the train in midtown today and assessed the Shmirat Einayim situation. It's become a pretty solid mental habit to consciously stop and think before I go any further. I already know that no matter what route I choose to the office, there are going to be challenges along the way.
So today, I tried what I call my "Change Focus Mode." My eyes sort of locked into a lowered position, not looking at the ground, but focusing on just the five to ten feet ahead of me. "This is a war," I kept telling myself, "you worked on this maneuver, now do it!"
I walked just the way I had practiced in my backyard, and it worked! Somehow, I didn't feel the need to scan left and right, nor to take in all the alluring city sights. Before I knew it, I had reached my office building.
Victory!
These e-mails are excerpts taken from the book "Windows of the Soul" by Rabbi Zvi Miller of the Salant Foundation.