As Mary Oliver reminded us yesterday, how we look and  pay attention is crucial in our work in counterbalancing the mind’s tendency to focus on the negative. So our day-to-day practice is to notice with fresh eyes, and not allowing our beliefs about what we “know” get in the way of the richness of moment-to-moment experience. We can try this today with the people we meet and when we are in familiar situations.

No moment is the same as any other. Each is unique and contains unique possibilities. Beginner’s mind reminds us of this simple truth. The next time you see somebody who is familiar to you, ask yourself if you are seeing this person with fresh eyes, as he or she really is, or if you are seeing only the reflection of your own thoughts about this person.

Jon Kabat Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living