It isn’t all about seeing with your eyes.
8. Pick a color that is dominant in your environment…grey or green for example. See how many variations there are on that hue. I come from the Northwest where everything is green. But, I was amazed by the kazillion shades of green that existed when I really looked. Until that concerted effort as an exercise for myself, I saw a mass of green in the periphery of my life. It was just the back drop for all the other stuff to play against. When I was working in NYC I had a long way to walk to work and in the winter the canvas was pretty grey. Still, amazingly, I could gather in tons of color and it was kind of satisfying to arrive at my destination with some great finds. I know you’re thinking it doesn’t take much to entertain this girl. You’d be wrong.
9. Find an inexpensive pair of sunglasses with lavender, rose or yellow shades. We’ve all done this and noticed the difference. But this time, instead of nonchalantly adjusting to the shift, ‘really notice’ how the world shifts when you lift them on and off. How does each different lens color make you feel? As it is with a colored lens, so it is with the lens of a new viewpoint. There is a feeling tone that goes with it. Notice that too. If actually doing this feels a little airy-fairy…and it kinda is…just imagine it then.
10. Put on a smile and look again. Honest, it makes a difference. Physiology and the way you move can influence your state of mind and being. That’s why it’s a good thing, if you are down or stressed, to get down and do push ups or run around the block. A smile shifts your physiology in the same way. By putting a smile on your face, even faking it, you are tricking your brain out of a bad or melancholy mood. Try it. This one I’ve done in a seminar room and it really works. Put a smile on your face. Now think of something annoying all the while smiling. It’s pretty hard to ‘feel’ annoyed while you are smiling. It’s hard to feel sad. Really. Try it. OK, go into the closet and try it. Honestly, part of seeing the world differently and being delighted by it is not being too concerned about what others think. Who cares?
What does this have to do with seeing from a new perspective? As I have shared, what you see is influenced by how you look. Look from a smile even one that feels inauthentic in the moment. It works. Promise.
11. If you are used to sitting in the same chair at dinner, move to another one. Don’t take the same route to work. Change it up. You get the point by now. Change your field of view and notice what happens. We get into ruts. Of course it only works if you pay attention.
12. Spend time with people who are very different from you in as many ways as you define different. That is where the learning is. You won’t learn much from someone who sees the world just like you. Really. Where is the opportunity to grow? How do you gain a new perspective? Don’t just notice differences or just accept they exist. Go looking for them. See them. Really listen to them. You are rarely learning while you are talking…unless you are asking. In the human experience, listening is divine intimacy. It will help you ‘see’ with your ears and hear with your eyes, a whole new level to observing your world and getting it.
13. Rather than engaging in usual conversation, spend a day just asking questions. Period. Then listen! Listen between the lines. Listen to tone of voice. Watch body language. You can answer yes and no to questions others ask…but you’ll become very creative at answering questions by asking new ones. You’ll be surprised how most will not notice what you are doing. You’ll be humbled by how little your opinions are sought out. Notice how many times you are dying to express your point of view. Bite your tongue. If you slip up, start again the next day. It is a challenge but you will come away having learned something from what the others are saying since you won’t be busy thinking about your brilliant response. Hopefully, you’ll gain a new perspective or at least visit one or two for awhile. The bonus? You’ll be perceived as a master communicator. I did this in a class once and it was one of those in-your-face realizations for me.
14. Use all of your senses to try to understand something. Remember that you have many more senses than sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. What about our sixth sense or intuition, sense of humor, sense of hot and cold or sense of equilibrium? Sense…itivity to physical or emotional pain, sense of understanding, street sense, sense of self and our relationship to all things, common sense and I just read something yesterday that reminded me to add sense of acceleration. A lot of ways to connect and read what is going on in your environment. Notice the ones that may be atrophying.
As often as I think about it I do some of the above. I believe they will help you to improve your noticing skills. I know these exercises keep me very present…an added benefit.
In the beginning these exercises are tasks of intention. Soon, they will become part of how you walk through life…gathering and noticing. The process quietly keeps you engaged with the world around you.
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