Make Space: Practicing the Art of Noticing
Every month, we begin by making space. This month, we’ll do that by slowing down enough to truly notice—to pay attention, with gentleness and curiosity, to the world around us and the life within us.
Looking back, I think my journey into mindfulness and practicing the presence of God began even before I started my spiritual direction training with Selah. One of the unexpected turning points for me was reading Rob Walker’s book The Art of Noticing. (I loved it so much I wrote about it in three different blog posts!) Something about it cracked open a new way of seeing.
Walker’s central message is simple but transformative: Attention is not just a resource. It’s the gateway to creativity, connection, joy, even worship. So many of the stories he shares are about people who chose to notice something and then began collecting or curating it in fun, creative, even reverent ways. What a delight that is! To turn your gaze toward something ordinary and find it shimmering with meaning.
As he puts it:
“Every day is filled with opportunities to be amazed, surprised, enthralled—to experience the enchanting everyday. To stay eager. To be, in a word, alive.”
“What we do with our attention, in short, is at the heart of what makes us human.”
Yes. Yes. Yes.
So, this month, as we begin by making space, I invite you to take time to notice just a little more than usual. Notice with your body, your senses, your spirit. Below is a gentle list of noticing prompts to get you started. You don’t need to do them all. You don’t need to do anything, really. Just let one or two invite you back to presence.
Noticing Prompts
What do you hear right now, if you listen very closely?
What color is the light where you are?
Can you feel the air on your skin? Is it warm, cool, still, or moving?
What’s the tiniest thing you can see from where you’re sitting?
Notice one thing that feels soft near you. What makes it soft?
What shapes do you see in the shadows?
Can you find something that’s moving very slowly?
What do your feet feel like right now?
What’s a smell in the air you hadn’t noticed until now?
Look around—what’s something nearby that makes you feel calm?
Can you hear your own breath? What does it sound like?
Notice something you’ve seen a hundred times... as if it’s brand new.
What color is the quiet today?
What’s something outside that’s holding still? What’s moving?
If you tried one of these, how did it feel?
Did time seem to move differently?
Did you?
As always, there’s no pressure, just an invitation to make a little space for wonder. Let noticing be its own kind of prayer.
Kid-Friendly Idea: Make a Noticing Adventure!
If you have kids in your life, this can be a beautiful practice to do together. Turn it into a “Noticing Walk” around the block or a “Five Senses Treasure Hunt” in your own living room. You might ask:
What’s the silliest sound you can hear right now?
Can you spot a shape that looks like a letter or animal?
What’s something you’ve never noticed on your way to the car?
Can you find one thing to sniff, one thing to touch, and one thing that moves?
Let them collect “noticings” like treasures, draw them, or make up stories about them. There’s no wrong way to pay attention—and often, kids are the best teachers of this kind of wonder.