Noticing

I walked out of the front door of my dormitory building and noticed the sunlight coming through the branches of our maple tree and illuminating the yellow-orange leaves. The angle of the bright light hitting the trees and the grass and the bicycles was simply beautiful. It was the simplest of scenes, one I walk into every single day, but this time it demanded to be noticed.

I have figured out that one of my favorite feelings in the world is the one when I stretch my legs out under the covers for the first time as I get into bed. The blankets and sheets are still cool and soft, and I can feel my muscles as they extend from a formerly compacted position from my toes to my back. The stretch feels better because it's one of the last things I do in the day, and I know that I'm lying down to relax and enjoy my sleep.

Monday, I didn't really notice how rough my day was until I ran into a friend. I was overwhelmed by the amount of reading I had to do, had an 80-minute lecture shouted at me, and had my usual 10-minute rush from one class to the next. During that walk, a friend greeted me with a smile, hug, and "hi how are you." It was the most ordinary gesture, but it was the high point of my day.

I'm trying to be more perceptive and appreciative of the awesome things that are happening in my life. I think between China and some of the content in my sociology classes I've become so much more aware of the way privilege functions in my life that I want to be more aware and thankful. Sure, I have relatively rough days and certain types of stress, and while my emotional reactions are just as legitimate as anyone else's, the causes are certainly varied based on advantages and disadvantages. If I focus on the positive, the negative goes away. I guess that day with the sun in the tree re-centered me on my mission of having a real "why today is awesome" for every day, and the idea of Noticing has been a resonant rephrase.

Since Monday, when I realized how much a hello meant to me, I've been doing a lot better. I got in control of my work and have spent time with more friends who continue to make me smile. I've just been thinking about Noticing for about a week now, and it's become very important to me, so I just wanted to share.

Today is awesome because it was warm and sunny, I had some smiling times with friends, and I'm feeling on top of my work.