Take notice: Observe, listen, take to heart, welcome, attend.
My favorite synonym for the phrase “take notice” is to attend. And that really encapsulates my desire of living so deliberately. To take notice of life is to attend life. To show up, participate, hear, see, observe, and take to heart all that life has to offer.
I want to attend life. Taking notice of how suddenly it’s spring and all the trees are bursting with the beautiful color of fresh, spring green—Knowing soon, it will fade into that summer-y, deep, emerald green. Observing a bird’s nest from my parent’s living room window. Hearing my husband working from the other room or my cat purr on my lap. Taking to heart the conversations I am a part of or the way words can make people feel.
The one who takes notice of life, attends life. We can get so caught up in our little worlds and screens that we miss life wizzing past us. We don’t stop to feel how we’re really feeling or checking in with ourselves to make sure we’re living how we’d like to.
The screens don’t make it any easier. Scrolling endlessly, mindlessly watching — Addicted, absorbed, escaped, tuned out. Our faces are lit up and glowing from the screen in front of us but our eyes are dull to observing the world around us.
Ever since I’ve been putting my phone down more, I’ve been living more. Crazy, right? I’ve been writing, being curious to see how many books I can read in a week, getting dopamine from doing household chores rather than social media, exercising, journaling. Attending life. Not pulling my phone out every spare minute in line at the checkout and smiling at humans instead. Observing.
I think a good way to start taking notice of life is to sit quietly for a moment and rattle off things you’re grateful for. You can write them down or you can just say them quietly to yourself. Simple things too — The robins in my backyard, quality time with my husband, the rabbit that comes to visit in the evenings, my home. Just quietly taking inventory of what’s around me and how thankful I am to experience it.
Taking notice of the hard stuff too. Listening to your body or mind when it’s asking for a rest. Knowing when to let go of things or when to take a step back. Noticing unhealed parts of ourselves that are asking to be known, seen, or heard. Slowing down and making time to fall inward when needed. Observing our own inner worlds and jotting down what we’d like to change about the landscape.
Attending life, noticing life, taking life to heart. Making time to create art and sharing it. Welcoming friends into our homes. Eating outside. Driving to the grocery store. Saying hello to your neighbors. It’s all so meaningful when we show up and attend. I want to attend.
Thank you for being here 🤍
— Jak