After sixteen days offline, a reminder that the amount of good in our lives often depends on our ability to see what's already there.

I saw a quote recently, and it really hit home for me. 

“The amount of good in your life depends on your ability to notice it”.

It's 06:17 on a Tuesday morning. Usually by now this letter is finished.

Instead, I'm sitting at the kitchen table, running on very little sleep, enjoying my second coffee, writing to you about some of my very recent observations in life.

The curtain beside me is moving gently in the breeze. The sky is already bright blue.

The air is still, and the birds‌ seem to be gliding, not flying.

Despite being tired and looking slightly puffy around the eyes, I feel calm.

I've realised something about myself recently.

I am a deeply visual person. Not just in the way I learn, although that's true too.

Show me how something works, and I'll often understand it immediately and be able to repeat it back. 

But it's more than that.

The world speaks to me through what I see.

Through colour.

Through texture.

Through light.

Through movement.

Through shadows. 

Even a linen curtain moving gently on a warm morning. For some reason, these things have an effect on me.

They slow my thoughts down. They remind me to pay attention. They bring me back to myself.

Because when I feel most disconnected, it's rarely because something terrible has happened. Usually it's because my mind has become too crowded.

Too much noise.

Too much information.

Too many opinions.

Too many possible futures being rehearsed before they've happened.

My thoughts become so busy that I stop noticing the world around me. It can feel paralysing and often leads to this state of apathy. 

And that's often when I know I've drifted too far from who I really am.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been offline. Sixteen days in fact.

In my industry, that can feel like an eternity. There's always a temptation to keep up.

To post more. To react faster. To stay visible. To stay relevant. 

But I've been trying something different. And I've realised that creativity doesn't come from consuming more.

It comes from creating space.

Space for thoughts to wander.

Space for ideas to arrive.

Space for your heart to catch up with your head.

One day, life will try to convince you that faster is better.

That busier is better.

That more is always better.

I don't think that's true.

Sometimes the most important thing you can do is slow down long enough to actually see what's in front of you.

Keep your eyes open.

Protect your attention.

Make space in your mind.

And trust that your heart will connect the dots.

Because the amount of good in your life will often depend on your ability to notice it

Love,