Did You Notice….?

Have you ever noticed how you stop noticing things?  It’s almost as if we become blind, both to the physical and non-physical things.

I noticed this a few days ago, when, for whatever reason I became aware of the naked bulb in my kitchen.  I don’t remember how or when it happened, but the glass shade that belongs over the bulb got broken and, weeks later, it still hasn’t been replaced.  I had, to all intents and purposes, become blind not only to the physical appearance of the naked bulb, but also to the need to replace it.

This got me thinking about other things that we need to change but inadvertently don’t see, even though this may be causing us some kind of pain (physical or otherwise) or is more apparent (to others) in our tangible environment.

Part of the reason for this I guess is that we fill our lives to such an extent that it clearly is impossible to remember to notice everything.  On some level though we are prioritising those things which are important to us, or, more likely, we are prioritising those things and/or people which are demanding something from us.  But how often do we actually take the time to consciously consider that we are noticing the right things?

But noticing the ‘right’ things isn’t always easy to do of course, particularly if those things have an emotional charge and we would actually rather not deal with them, despite knowing that once we have processed our thoughts and feelings we will be able to move on with our lives more authentically and calmly.

And sometimes it’s just difficult to do the right things because we don’t really want to do the hard work that comes with achieving the outcome we would really like to see.

For me, gardening falls into this category.  I would love a beautiful garden with lush, green grass, beautiful, colourful and scented flowers and a shaded sitting area where I can gather with my family and friends on a summers evening.  The reality is very different though, and the reason for this is clear – I choose not to notice the gap between my current reality and my dream because I haven’t fully accepted that (or found the capacity) to consistently undertake the work that‘s required.

Whether this is a conscious decision or not is difficult to determine.   I am aware, but I choose not to notice, probably because I am actively working on goals that are currently of more importance to me.  And that’s a good thing, I guess, although I’d still like that garden…sigh…

But of course, we are now approaching the traditional time of year where we consciously look at our lives and pledge to make a better version of it for ourselves and our loved ones.  It is a little over two weeks before the onslaught of New Year’s Resolutions begins to bear down on us.  Like others, I’ve succumbed to this traditional pastime too, only to embark on something with much enthusiasm, but then, a few weeks later feel my motivation waning until eventually it peters out altogether and I drift back to my old ways.

With hindsight, I can see that I probably embarked on things that weren’t properly thought out.  Sometimes this would be because I felt I ‘should’ do something rather than really wanting to do it, or maybe it was just the wrong time or maybe for another hundred different reasons….

In truth, I see now that I didn’t take time to notice.  I didn’t take the time and put in the effort to truly evaluate the changes I really wanted to see in my life.  Yes, we all have things we want to cross off our ‘to do’ lists, but, actually, we can’t do it all at once and so we must go through a process to evaluate (notice) what will have the biggest positive impact on our lives at this time for the effort we’re prepared to expend.

So, before you rush into picking your 2014 New Year’s Resolutions, take a few days to really evaluate what is going to make next year memorable for all the right reasons.  Find your true cause, your inspiration and your motivation so that when we get to this time next year you can look back with pleasure at your achievements!

Right, now what to do about that bulb…

So what are you planning for 2014?  Have you started to notice things that you want to get done?  Please let us know in the comments!