Lately, I have been playing with this idea of noticing. It’s pretty simple yet quite effective. I’m becoming more aware of how I can let my agenda or busy mind easily take me away from the gentle act of noticing. It is so easy to get caught in thought, believe it all and not even pause to see the thoughts as just that, only thoughts. Not things we have to believe 24/7.
I’ve been especially aware of it when I’m interacting with others. Just seeing my need to defend, to be heard, to be right and my desire to be understood has been powerful. Sometimes simple noticing gives me pause to look at that and beyond that, to simply be with it all. My tendency to have to fix things right away has lessened a bit. I am trusting more that I will know what to do when I know, and until I know I can observe, pay attention and wait for more clarity.
Noticing has also given me the gift of distance–from myself and my thinking that seems so real, urgent and important. It’s just a slight pause but makes a big difference. I catch myself a bit more before I go down a big dark ‘thought hole’. Not always, but I’m okay with that, sometimes is better than not at all.
This gentle noticing feels good. I seem more curious and open to grace for myself and others. I feel like I have more bandwidth to show more compassion and less judgement. Perhaps we all could use more compassion and less judgement right now. What if it starts within, by the simple act of noticing? Look and see, what do you notice?
PS- For locals, I took this photo on the Kaslo River Trail, Kaslo BC.