A while ago, I stumbled upon Miranda Keeling’s social media account, on Threads.

Here were these tiny posts, these pocket-sized snapshots of everyday life – overheard conversations, lonely moments on the London Tube and so on. Nothing earth-shattering, but oddly captivating. They all have one thing in common: they describe a scene that Miranda witnessed, as she was getting on with her day.

I’ve been finding these little nuggets of daily life contemplation quite funny, cute, wholesome, and super grounding. In my quest to slow down in life, I subscribed to her account.

“A woman letting herself into her flat from the street turns to offer me a wink, as she tucks her door key into her bra.”
- Miranda Keeling, 05/10/2024 on Threads

And that’s when it hit me: I am rushing through my own life, lost in my thoughts half the time, and I am completely missing the little details. Suddenly, slowing down and actually being present seemed like something I had to (re)learn.

Down the rabbit hole of her posts I went, and guess what? Miranda has a podcast too! “Stopping To Notice” takes you on immersive walks with her, and her binaural microphone. For five minutes, you’re transported through parks, bustling streets, even an Ikea (I know, right???). It’s a sensory overload in the best possible way, forcing you to pay attention to the sights, sounds, smells, the whole thing.

“A woman on the train puts her laptop onto the table. She places a notebook with an orange cover on top of it. On top of that, she rests a rainbow-striped pen. She takes out a thermos. She pours some tea into the lid-cup. She takes a sip. She sighs. She stares out of the window.”
- Miranda Keeling, 26/09/2024 on Threads

At first, it felt a little strange. Is it really that hard to just… notice my surroundings? Apparently, for autopilot-me, it is. But Miranda’s gentle nudges (and those binaural recordings, let’s be honest) were enough to pull me back to the present. It snaps me right out of ruminating and other kinds of vague, absent thinking that I might be distracted with.

Remember that time I dedicated an entire hour to looking around me, with a notebook and a fountain pen? That day, I was surprised to notice new details - a slushy machine’s mesmerizing motion, those green hexagonal tiles on the floor… These were things I’d completely missed before, hidden in plain sight. And this forced boredom fueled my creativity, by setting my mind free from notifications and other smartphone cravings!

“Cat at the vet’s: Meow.
Man: Yeah, mate.
Cat: Meow.
Man: Yeah mate, I know.
Cat: Meow.
Man: I hear you mate, but it’s for your own good.”
- Miranda Keeling, 29/08/2024 on Threads

Now, I regularly dedicate time to stop and look around. I do this because:

• It grounds me in the present
• It helps me notice things I haven’t seen before
• It makes me curious, it creates opportunities for me to learn
• It’s less time spent on my phone
• It can be inspiring!
• It’s one more opportunity for me to write

It’s so simple, and yet holds so much power. It grounds me, opens my eyes to a whole new world, and fuels my creativity (bonus points!).

Maybe you’ll find inspiration in the ordinary too. Try it out, and let me know what you notice!

Thank you, Miranda, for reminding me that there is a world around me.