A Practice for Cultivating Awareness

As someone who loves to wander around museums, I was intrigued by Rev. Amy Freedman’s post, “Seeing Clearly Takes Mind as Well as Eyes.” She describes a program whereby police officers look at and talk about art, in order to hone their observation skills. But such methods are not only for law enforcement. Each of us can focus on what we see in our daily lives, in order to cultivate awareness. Rev. Freedman writes:

…the ability to see clearly is essential to live with integrity. Above all, improving our powers of observation is actually opening our ability to connect with the world in the present moment instead of viewing things only through the cloud of our own assumptions.

I challenge you to expand your observation skills. Take time to look at objects and people around you with new eyes. Practice the art of observation at a museum or really look at the details found in a picture book…Walk through the world like it is a work of art. Becoming more mindful will enable us to move through the world with greater integrity, clarity, and care.