An essential part of being mindful is noticing.
Noticing your body, noticing your breath, noticing when your minds wanders off on a tangent or is kidnapped by the past or the future.
Noticing your surroundings and the subtle, fleeting changes that occur in your daily, mostly routine, life.
Being aware and noticing keeps us in the present moment and contributes to a slower paced, more appreciative life.
Currently I am reading Hashtag Authentic by the mega talented Sara Tasker from https://meandorla.co.uk/
This beautifully written book is about building your presence on Instagram and other Social media platforms.
One of Sara’s first tasks involves finding the magic in the everyday, in your everyday and this takes a lot noticing. Noticing those small things, those moments, that bring a smile to your heart and fill you with joy.
I absolutely love this exercise because it makes you pay attention in the present moment.
It differs from gratitude as its specific to things that unique to you.
I tend to be a bit generic with my gratitude practice, I’m thankful for my family, fresh food, my friends, the blue sky, the clean air and so on.
For example, here’s a few things on Sara’s list:
A longed for package arriving in the post
Lighting a candle at my desk before starting work
Tying my hair up with a piece of vintage ribbon
And a few things on my list:
The rainbows that dance on my ceiling and wall in the morning as the sunlight refracts through a cut crystal that sits on the windowsill.
My dog’s soft ears standing up and a look of expectancy on his face when I say “walk” even tho it will be the same route as yesterday, the day before and every day before that.
My unmade bed, as there is something so deliciously rebellious about not making my bed everyday.
These things may mean absolutely nothing to you, nor should they, as they are specific to Sara and her life and to me and mine.
Doing this exercise has made me aware of my daily life and the beautiful mundane things in it that bring me joy and happiness.
Life is fleeting and fragile and it’s these little things that make up our everyday life.
There’s no time like the present to start noticing, so go ahead and start making a list and I’d love to know what’s on it.
P.S if you want to give your creativity a boost, refine your style and refresh your Instagram gallery then I recommend you take a look at Authentic Hashtag by Sara Tasker.
Image courtesy Priscilla du Preez – Unsplash
