Do you ever look back on a time in your life where something amazing was happening right in front of you and you didn’t notice? Ever feel like you missed out on a potential opportunity because you weren’t paying attention? There is actually a psychological name for that, and it’s called inattentional blindness. This fancy word basically means that we are so focused on certain things that we miss out on the seemingly obvious ones. And since there is in fact a formal definition for this phenomenon, it shows you are not alone in your experience.
I’m sure someone can relate to this sample scenario: You are walking down the street thinking about the laundry you have to do, the cake you have to order for your friend’s birthday party, and how you forgot to put deodorant on this morning. Yet you didn’t even notice the winning lottery ticket that has been stuck to your shoe for the past six blocks.
Sure, this may be an exaggerated example, but you get the point. There is so much of life that is passing by without us noticing, even when it’s slapping us in the face.
What will it take for people to just look up and be present every once in a while? Afterall, the laundry will still be there whether you are sprinting home to it or not, the cake will get ordered – there is still time, and you forgot the deodorant because you were too focused on your other ongoing list that was in your head this morning. Just breathe. No one is chasing you through this life. There is still time.
And look! There is a beautiful sunset tonight! The elderly woman you just walked by just laughed for the first time since her husband passed away, a man just helped a new mom carry her stroller up the stairs, and it smells like it is going to rain tonight. There is art in simply living. We were not made to work every second of every day until we die.
There is plenty of time to make lists and chase your dreams, but there will always feel like there wasn’t enough time to do the little things.
A little piece of advice since you’re still here: make room for five minutes to just notice. Put away your phone, don’t listen to music or even talk for that matter. Just listen, smell, feel, and look around. What are 10 things you hadn’t noticed before you took the time to look?
I am aware I’m not one to talk; I too have constant lists in my head and feel the need to rush because “there is not enough time in the day”. But lately I have discovered that we have far more time than we realize. We are so constantly overstimulated by social media and societal expectations and responsibilities that we feel like we can’t catch our breath.
To prove that you can in fact catch your breath even with everything, I have included some of the things I have noticed recently. If you ever give my advice a try, you’ll notice that these seemingly unimportant moments tend to stick with you more than you’d expect.
It’s nice to remember what life feels like every so often.
The way the sunlight hit this bag of road trip snacks
This beautiful moth at a rest stop bathroom
The children running around and playing at a flea market
These flowers blooming on my grandpa’s tree
My unsuspecting friends enjoying a beautiful sunset
The sunlight glowing through the leaves
The sound of my friends laughing and the waves crashing at the beach
Enjoy your five minutes. Maybe even make it ten!
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I really enjoyed your introduction! You did a fantastic job highlighting both your background and the purpose of your blog.…
This is an example of a comment from your instructor – Douglas 🙂 Make sure that your comments are ENABLED…
Hey K! I really enjoyed reading your intro. You sound like a wise person for the short life you have…