Welcome!
This book is designed to help you tap into the magic that happens when you start paying
attention. We’ll get to that in a minute. But first, a confession: This book, and the gentle
approach to mindfulness it’s based on, came about because we—Willow and Deborah—weren’t paying attention.
A few years back, we’d planned a rare day of playing hooky. We were both excited to check out
some art at San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Unfortunately, when we arrived
at the museum, the lobby looked rather dark. Empty, too.
Crap.
Turns out MOMA is closed on Wednesdays—a fact we’d have known if we’d, uh, paid attention.
With unexpected time on our hands, we decided to stroll around the city. But we wouldn’t just
walk; we challenged ourselves to actually pay attention to our surroundings. Ratcheting up our
noticing led us to discover a public library hidden in a historic tower and a Frank Lloyd Wright
building obscured by a row of pop-up food trucks. We also noticed sweet little things, like an
older couple holding hands as they shuffled down the street together.
As we wandered and observed, we had an idea. How about we start a daily journal based on
paying attention to what’s around us and within us? Every day, we could write about something
we’d noticed using the three-word prompt, “Today I noticed” and then illustrate it in some way.
It would help us be more present. It would be a fun creative outlet, too.
Why were we pursuing presence? We’d both recently fallen off the meditation wagon—well,
pillow—once again. Maybe you’re familiar with the cycle: You vow to meditate daily. Days or
even weeks pass, and your ohm-tally grows. Then you miss a session, blaming a work deadline,
the flu, a late-night Netflix binge. You tell yourself, “I’ll do it tomorrow”—but tomorrow never
comes. Before you know it, your meditation streak is over. You slip back to being distracted,
overloaded, and functioning on fumes.
If active noticing could help us break this cycle, we were in.
The next day, after a quick trip to the art store to pick up journals and art supplies, we kicked off our adventure in paying attention.
On a warm evening about three weeks later, we grabbed our “Today I Noticed” journals and
settled onto two tall stools at a local bar to share gimlets and our observations, which we called
“TINs” (Today I Noticed). We were both a little nervous about revealing what we’d been up to.
Nervousness quickly gave way to delight. As we took turns showing each other our entries in our journals, it felt like we were having a conversation—one that was surprising, insightful, funny, thoughtful, and thought-provoking.
Today I noticed that absolutely no one cares what I look like in a bikini. Today I noticed that a little dancing dust ball can be very distracting during a yoga class. Today I noticed that when you let people sit at a table full of art supplies, they turn into artists. When we talked about the process of “TINing,” we found ourselves using the same words and
phrases.
I slowed down. I tuned in. I felt grateful. I felt creative. I felt connected. In short, we felt
present.
By the end of that evening, we were officially hooked on paying attention. We started naturally
dropping the phrase, “Today I noticed” into our conversations, and so did our husbands. And our friends. When even our teenage boys started telling us what they were noticing, we knew we were onto something. Active noticing was giving us a simple yet powerful framework for
experiencing the world.
We also realized TINing was more than just a fun experiment between two friends. It was a
simple, natural practice that could help everyone slow down and be more present. In that magical moment when we notice ourselves noticing, the silly, sweet, messy, mundane moments of everyday life become meaningful, memorable, and, often, wonderful.
Today I noticed that the more you notice, the more you notice. We predict that once you start using this book, the phrase, “Today I noticed” will take up
full-time residency in your brain—and it will quickly change how you move through your day.
And the world!
Hello, present. Hello, presence. Here’s some of the magic that awaits you:
You’ll become more mindful. The phrase, “Today I noticed” works like the world’s tiniest
meditation pillow, one that’s 100% portable and invisible. You might feel too busy or too fidgety to sit down and meditate, but you’ll never feel too busy or too fidgety to notice what’s around you.
You’ll feel nourished. When you tune into the little moments, you realize how much sweetness
and joy are woven into every day.
You’ll feel grounded. An antidote to distraction, intentional noticing reminds us to slow down
and find the
joie de vivre that lies just below the surface of any ordinary day.
You’ll become more grateful. The little moments that make up your day make up your life.
When you tune into your thoughts, feelings, and observations, your self-awareness grows and
your appreciation for everyday life deepens. And that feels great!
You’ll feel creative. You don’t have to be a skilled artist to create “TINs.” Whatever you write about or draw is a masterpiece because it reflects your unique voice, style,
and take on the world.
We think that after reading this book, you’ll already feel more present, nourished, and grateful for the little moments that make up your life. We want you to wake up every morning and think, “I wonder what I’ll notice today?”
We hope you’re excited to find out.
Yours in slowing down and noticing,
Willow and Deborah
Copyright © 2023 by Willow Older and Deborah Huber. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
