Attentiveness.  I have thought a lot lately about the importance of this practice. My noticing the “now” keeps me attentive to this moment so that my mind doesn’t wander; fantasizing about how wonderful and productive my life could or should be or engaging in imaginary conversations that would have or will in the future explicate my best intentions for me in the world. In other words, paying attention changes my perspective.

Joy is like that. You have to pay attention. Joy is about perspective. Frederick Buechner reminds us “happiness turns up more or less where you’d expect it to—a good marriage, a rewarding job, a pleasant vacation. Joy, on the other hand, is as notoriously unpredictable as the one who bequeaths it.” For me, one key to joy is another kind of attentiveness—the kind that comes when I pay attention to what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, anything worthy of praise. So that is my intention for a new blog, a space to record sightings, even those only in my mind.