Day 24 of 100 Days of Hope
The Power of Noticing: How Paying Attention Can Change Your Life
Life moves fast. We rush from one thing to the next, barely pausing to breathe, let alone reflect. But what if one of the most powerful tools for change isn’t in doing more—but in slowing down enough to notice?
Noticing may sound simple, even small. Yet it has the power to transform everything.
Why Noticing Matters
Here’s the truth: you can’t change anything until you acknowledge it. If you don’t like the results you’re getting in your life, the first step isn’t to force a fix—it’s to stop and pay attention.
Notice your thoughts.
Notice your reactions.
Notice the stories you tell yourself.
Awareness always comes before change. Without noticing, you’ll keep repeating the same patterns, often without realizing it.
My Story of Learning to Notice
For years, I believed life was happening to me. I felt like a victim of my circumstances—powerless, stuck, and often frustrated.
But one day, I started asking myself different questions:
Why do I keep responding this way?
What am I believing that might not even be true?
How could I look at this differently?
That shift—getting curious instead of staying stuck—changed everything.
I began to notice my thoughts, many of which were negative and unhelpful. Once I saw them clearly, I realized they weren’t facts. They were just stories I was telling myself. And the moment I challenged those stories and replaced them with true, empowering beliefs, I felt hope again.
It didn’t happen overnight. But the more I practiced noticing, the easier it became. I also discovered something beautiful: in every moment, I was supported by a divine source greater than myself. I wasn’t alone.
How You Can Practice Noticing
Noticing is a skill. Like any skill, it gets stronger with practice. Here are a few ways to begin:
Pause and Breathe – Even 30 seconds of stillness can help you step out of autopilot.
Observe Without Judgment – Notice your thoughts as if you’re watching clouds pass by. Don’t label them as “good” or “bad.” Just observe.
Get Curious – Ask: Is this thought really true? Is it helping me or hurting me?
Look for What You Can Control – Notice the difference between what’s yours to carry and what isn’t.
Journal Your Discoveries – Writing down what you notice helps you see patterns more clearly.
The Gift of Noticing
When you practice noticing, you begin to see more clearly what’s true and what isn’t, what matters and what doesn’t, what’s within your control and what never was.
This clarity brings freedom. It brings peace. And over time, it leads to lasting change.
The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your life in one giant leap. Change can begin with something as small as noticing the thoughts that cross your mind today.
It’s simple, but powerful. And it just might be the key to living a life filled with greater hope, joy, and intention.
Your Turn:
What could you notice today? A thought, a feeling, a pattern? Start small—and watch how the practice of noticing begins to shift your world.
Here is a small video for you.
Many Blessings,
Julie Burningham
The Hope Coach