360 Degrees of Mindful Living

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Three Questions, That's All

By Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D.

Just three questions.  That’s all.

What are you noticing?
What are you ignoring?
Who defined your attention filter?

context: life is happening, are you with it?  Are you noticing …

4 Comments to
Three Questions, That's All

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  • What am I noticing? A better question would be what am I not noticing? I notice so much. From simple discomfort in my back from pruning boxwood hedges all day, to the sound of my dog, snoring comfortably beside me. I notice that my breathing is always shallow unless I am focused on it and then it changes, even though I try not to change it. I notice the world around me and the rapid pace in which that world changes. No moment the same.
    What am I ignoring? The reason for the anxiety in the pit of my stomach – I could go on, but I will ignore the rest of it.
    Who didn’t define my attention filter?

  • Do you know what I really notice? I notice how a plant covered with aphids one day will be bare the next day. Not because they have left but because the lady bug on the same plant has devoured them all – in awe I noticed how the aphids had moved far down the stem away from their large red predator – how does an insect as simple as an aphid know? I notice how trees will grow from rocks without earth and thrive. I watch on a warm summer day how the breeze tickles the undersides of the leaves on the trees and it seems as if the leaves are dancing in excitement from the gentle caress of the invisible air. I watch the sun dance on the lake as it sparkles like diamonds and imagine how wealthy one could be if they could actually harvest those diamonds – but wait, maybe the disturbance on the water is from a large school of fish? Or perhaps it is just my imagination having fun. I watch the clouds as they drift by, their constantly changing form from the look of a face with hollow eyes to a ballooning mushroom. I notice how the wisps of one cloud will travel silently to join another or to simply disappear altogether. These are my moments when I have the chance to steal them in my hectic day and I count myself fortunate for having the opportunity to catch them when I can.
    I didn’t have time to share this before – is this more to answer your question?

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    Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D. is the author of The Lotus Effect, Present Perfect, The Smoke-Free Smoke Break, and Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time.

    Recent Comments
    • Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D.: Well said, Marcos. Essentially, my point as well: habit is choicelessness and, as such, may or...
    • Marcos A. Quinones, LCSW: It’s been shown that habits get in the way of a conscious choice. We often operate on...
    • Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D.: I see no connection here with the Jaywalking parable from the Big Book, Mary. Here’s the...
    • mary: This came right out of the Big Book of AA the difference is the book uses jaywalking as an example.
    • Pat Dornelles: thank you for this; simple words that ring true and deeply for all aspects of our lives.
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