Heartspoken Moment: Pay Attention

Pay attention and be present: this is a key to noticing and appreciating the details of your life.

Watch and listen to this Heartspoken Moment below or scroll down to read it:

Pay Attention

Right now, choose one thing near you on which to focus and concentrate: a leaf, a cup, a butterfly. Observe its color, texture, and design. Let it fill your heart and imagination with gratitude. It will forever be more precious to you.

For several months, I have been meditating a few minutes every day. Making myself sit down to do this has been harder than I thought it would be, but besides the luxury of taking a few minutes to relax, it has also taught me how to be more mindful, more present, and more attentive to the small things around me. I’m less likely to miss the brilliant yellow and black of a bumblebee sipping nectar from a flower along my kitchen walk, the distinctive cack-cack-cack of the Pileated Woodpecker in my winter woods, or the first fall smell of woodsmoke in the air.

The quality of one’s life depends on the quality of attention. Whatever you pay attention to will grow more important in your life.

~ Deepak Chopra