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Noticing and Taking Note

Angela Maiers, in this TED talk, recommends that we take note of what we notice. And, by taking note, I think Angela means taking the time to appreciate everything that happens every day. There are many noteworthy things to notice and we need to take the time to appreciate that which we notice. For me, this means naming the noticing and writing about it as a way to reflect on it. Writing serves as a reminder that things matter, people matter, and that what I think about all of this matters a lot.

Yet, I notice so many things but I rarely take note of anything.

Writing about what I notice sometimes feels beside the point. Ostentatious. Unimportant. Too much work. But, I know that the act of writing, no matter the topic, gets me to writing that really matters. I also know that for this to happen, I need to establish a regular writing habit. Daily is best, even if it's just for 15 minutes at a time. And, I have to protect that time at all costs. Surely I can find 15 minutes every day to write?! Or maybe I'll start with a five minute writing session every day for a week. Then, I'll add five minutes the following week and so on. Fifteen minutes being my goal for now. Once I have this habit firmly established, I can add five minutes every week until I reach thirty minutes. That would be heavenly.

It's funny that I should be writing about this - a teacher of writing and a writer of...of...of all kinds of things. But my writing is often measured by deadlines rather than nurtured by a daily habit.

That's the next step.
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