The concept of noticing has been a source of fascination for me for decades, dating back to my days as a Specialized Kinesiology or Brain Gym Consultant. My approach then was consistent with my Coaching approach …. define and refine your personal awareness and notice what you truly value, need, and desire. By understanding your internal and exterior landscape, you will set accomplishable goals. Being aware of and noticing your physical, emotional and mental state, as well as being finely attuned to your surroundings are all paramount to moving from surviving to thriving in your life.
Jacques Lusseyran, a blind hero of the French Resistance, powerfully expressed this in a book called “And there was light”.
“Because of my blindness, I had developed a new faculty. Strictly speaking, all men have it, but almost all forget to use it. The faculty is “Attention”. In order to live without eyes, it is necessary to be very attentive, to remain hour after hour in a state of wakefulness, of receptiveness and activity. Indeed, attention is not simply a virtue of intelligence or the result of education. It is a state of being. In its truest sense it is the listening post of the universe”.
Based on this passage, it could be argued that Attention is the next step to Noticing or perhaps synonymous with it. Something draws our attention, and we notice it. Or in reverse we notice something fleeting, and it captures our attention, wanting to be explored for deeper understanding or expansion. For the visually impaired, it is imperative. For those with the gift of sight it can be life enhancing.
Many choose to meander through life unacquainted with their physical state in space, unaware of the emotions, needs and feelings, which stir within them, insensitive and perhaps even untouched by their surroundings. But one can chose to walk in life in a state of full consciousness and a hypersensitivity to the faculties of awareness and noticing, choosing to cast attention to all that flows around them.
Better to choose to notice our physicality, awareness of our proprioception, or physical relationship with our surroundings. Sensory acuteness through touch, sensations and feelings all give messages about our state of being. We may ask the question… am I being asked to step into action to initiate change and improvement in my situation? Better to choose to notice the details of our surroundings; the first light of day, or the fading hue of dusk. We may want to ask the question…. How has my day shifted and transformed today? Do I need to let go of something and move into the phase of new creation?
Better to choose to notice the subtleties of nature; colours, shapes, textures and smells. We may want to ask the question… How has this day allowed me to manifest a sense of well-being, peace, joy and contentment?
Better to choose to notice what is being communicated by a look, a gesture, a glance, a whisper…. We may want to ask the question…. Who is in need of my support today? Who can I give a helping hand to? Or who would like a little bit of my time?
Better to choose to notice one’s state of emotional being… level of joy, happiness, anxiousness or fear. We may want to ask the question…. Is there something, which needs attention, resolution, and confirmation or am I being asked to simply feel gratitude for the contentment, which exists within?
Welcome in this state of awareness by developing your own PDP…Personal-Daily-Practice. Create space and openness to the internal and external stimuli and notice and draw attention to the messages intended for you.
Often the morning is an excellent time to initiate this sense of awareness as it can instill calm and readiness for whatever the rest of the day will deliver to you.
This practice can take any shape or form…a reflective moment with yourself, drawing attention to your breath and inner state of being before bolting from bed. Or rising and spending time in meditation either in a quiet space in your home or out in nature. You set the stage for your initiation into each day.
Regardless of what your PDP includes, be it personal reflection, deep breathing, meditation, stretching, yoga, journaling, walking, running, hiking or simply being, do it with intention and do it consistently. Get to the point where there is no room for internal dialogue, discussion or debate with yourself about doing it. You do your PDP because it is simply who you are. Keep changing and transforming it until it becomes your “state of being” …. Until it becomes the “listening post” to your universe.
To create your Personal Daily Practice, you will need to hone and heighten your skills in Noticing. Download and complete this exercise: Noticing-Personal-Daily-Practice-exercise.pdf
Vivian
About Vivian
Visionary storyteller, Vivian Hitchman, authors inspirational, imaginative, and empowering works, with a focus on helping people understand life’s meanderings.
Through her writings, she encourages kids to be resilient and steadfast against negative input, helping them to find the positives in their experiences.
Applying her years of experience and expertise as a life coach, Vivian challenges readers to move beyond their limiting beliefs, negative self-talk, and destructive patterns of behaviour, helping them gain greater resiliency and fulfillment in their lives.
