Noticing Is Our Superpower

Hi,

I hope you have enjoyed Spring and are looking forward to some Summer weather around the corner (hopefully!).

I have recently re-introduced the after dinner walk into my day, and to say that it has changed everything may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it has definitely shifted some big things for me.

Now, I say I have “re-introduced” as this is something I do quite like to do in the Spring and Summer. When it’s warm and light I do find myself wanting to be outside a bit more in the evening.

(Unfortunately in the Winter it takes a lot more to get me out of my pjs, into many layers of clothing and heavy boots, and leave my cosy dent in the sofa in front of the TV).

However, recently I have taken the evening walk a step further and made it a daily non-negotiable. Not something I just do on those perfect balmy summer evenings, but a habit that I have incorporated into my daily routine which I will continue to do for as long as it’s enjoyable. I’m not putting pressure on myself but it has altered the way I feel so much that I want to have more of it daily.

At first I did it for my dog. He doesn’t use our toilet (😂) so he needs to go out before bed to relieve himself. And one particularly sunny evening I decided we could go for a little mooch around the neighbourhood at the same time.

We came home after about 20 minutes, cleaned up the kitchen, brushed our teeth and got settled into bed.

The next morning I woke up feeling like I’d had the best nights sleep I’d had in a while.

Now, I know there is science behind why an after dinner walk is good for us, something about regulating your blood sugar and aiding digestion. Could this be why I slept so well?

Anyway, we continued our after dinner ritual every evening that week. Passing the golf club as the astonishingly golden sun was setting over the lush green grass. Having a small chat with a neighbour. Listening to the chitter chatter of the birds in the park.

And the good sleeps kept on coming. By the end of the week, I felt well rested, energetic and a great deal calmer than usual. Was this really just down to how I was metabolising my dinner?

The more I do it the more I’ve realised there is something quite magical about this time of day. Around 8pm, post dinner. Most people have done their commute home and are usually eating or watching TV at home. There are fewer cars on the road, thus less noise. And I’ve found that nature speaks more loudly to me at this time of day.

Making it easier to notice it.

The evening chorus is louder, the sun feels closer and more vibrant as it sinks down to meet us, I can dawdle and look around a bit more without having to worry about watching out for traffic or getting in someone’s way.

I also feel on a deeper level that allowing myself to notice and connect with my surroundings is good for me. It allows me to relax and find peace before resting for the night.

But even more than this I actually think it is what makes being human so special. And is something we should be making room for more regularly.

With the surge in AI generated novels, design and artwork recently, I have found myself wondering what the point of creating anything is. Why agonise over some marketing materials yourself when AI can spurt something out in a few seconds, why bother spending months, or years, writing a book when technology can do it and people may accuse you of using AI anyway? Which I’ll admit feels really sad.

But life is not about the outputs, always seeking ways to get to the end goal the fastest.

When I was studying mindfulness back in 2020, I read a lot about traditional and modern Buddhism. One of the key teachings is to embrace the realities of life, including the joys as well as the unavoidable pains and inevitable death. This is not intended to be a morbid act but a way of allowing ourselves to loosen our grip on what we think we can control and create freedom to live in the present. When we can accept particular inevitabilities and let go of trying to control the things we can’t control, we free up space to be in the moment, and mindfully live the life we want to live.

I always find it interesting when people think that talking about death is negative and miserable. It’s not anything really, it’s just a reality. Surely burying our heads in the sand and living on autopilot until we reach the end of things is more miserable?

And this got me wondering whether understanding the finality of things makes them more vibrant? We know there are endings and do we really want to always race towards them? For me, understanding and accepting that this is our life right now, makes me stop and notice more.

Similarly knowing that a day will end, we will come to the end of a book, we have to return home following an overseas trip, can enhance the experience we have of it.

Switching my evening walk from something I need to get done because someone said it was good for me to acknowledging that it is something that will eventually come to an end, and is worth noticing, has completely shifted the way I experience the walk.

Despite following a similar routine and route each evening, the position of the sun and the way the light hits the green will be a bit different tomorrow, the flowers my dog chooses to sniff will change, the neighbours I bump into and the chats I will have will never be exactly the same again. The birds will come and go. I may not see that same fox that ran across the street again.

And this fact is what makes it so magical. What makes me feel lucky to be experiencing the world as the person I am today at that particular moment of my life.

AI can scan and copy what has been before, but it can never predict or replicate what you are noticing about your world right now.

And that is why noticing is our superpower. The fact that life is vulnerable and finite makes our experiences of it so special. We will never have this exact same moment again, so it’s worth taking a little more time to notice and add more good things to our life.

And show others what it feels like - write the book, draw the drawing, design the flyer.

We got powers no machine can replicate.

What things do you notice in your day?

Until next time

Rebecca x