The collage above is of the same tree, with photos taken almost exactly two months apart, the first being at the start of Autumn (in early October), the second yesterday, on our first cold (below-freezing) day of winter, with a hard frost still on the ground around 1:30 pm, despite the bright sunshine.
I love to attune myself, my senses, my energy, and my spirit, through what one might call “hyper-noticing”, by paying deep and close attention to my surroundings.
When I was diagnosed with cancer some nine months ago, and though the prognosis was (and remains) for full and complete recovery (I feel 100% right now, btw!), somehow I started noticing even more than before when I walk around.
There is a footpath close to my house that I walk up and down sometimes several times a day. It would be easy to not notice the subtle changes from day to day, from season to season, but I love to notice. That said, the way this one tree turns from green to flame-red leaves to mark the start of Autumn is something it would be difficult to ignore! I adore this tree for the way it changes colour as if to say “look at me!” for a few short weeks each year. It then fades into anonymity, first in winter when the leaves drop, then in spring and summer when the fact it has leaves the same colour as the trees around it makes it blend into the background.
Another way to “hyper-notice”, to attune, is to remove one of your senses as you walk around. I wrote about this recently in, yes: “Noticing differently when one sense is removed“, first considering the opportunity to “notice differently” when wearing noise-cancelling headphones, to pay attention more to what you see when you cannot hear your surroundings. I then talked about removing one’s glasses as one navigates walking in a busy area. Fascinating (and perhaps gives some small idea of what it may feel like to be visually impaired and navigating the sighted world).
One other idea to aid noticing is to take a different route, whether on a walk you take around your home to get some fresh air, or your walk to work. I wrote about the way this can help our creativity by rewiring us in “Want to be creative? Walk a different route to work”
So, for those in the UK, with a few days ahead of very cold weather, one positive is that it will likely be dry and bright, so do go out for a walk. Perhaps you may notice something new and different.