If you’re reading this, chances are you’re someone who cares about growth and self-improvement. And if that’s the case, you’ve probably heard the word mindfulness more times than you can count. It’s everywhere. In fact, it’s so common now that we don’t even notice it anymore — which is ironic, considering the whole point of mindfulness is to notice.
But the idea behind it matters. I don’t always call it mindfulness because buzzwords fade. I like to think of it more simply as being awake — being open to the world outside your head.
Just yesterday, I visited a Japanese market I had never been to before. A completely ordinary moment. On the drive, my mind could have easily gone into autopilot — thinking about where I needed to be next, why someone was driving slowly in front of me, and what errands I needed to finish later. The usual mental hamster wheel.
But instead, I became aware — just for a few moments. I noticed the sound of the wipers pushing away the rain. I heard the bass line of the song playing in my car.I looked around, and across the parking lo, I noticed another store I needed to visit soon — saving myself time later.
If I had stayed inside my head, I would’ve missed it.
It was a tiny thing. But life is made of tiny things — thousands of them, every day. And most of the time, we miss them because we're not awake to what’s right in front of us.
You don’t have to meditate for an hour to experience this. You just need moments of presence.
So try this: Set one reminder in your calendar or phone to simply wake up — step out of your thoughts and into your life, even for 20 seconds.
Notice your breath. Notice your surroundings. Notice the moment you are actually living.
A small shift, repeated often, changes everything.