In this age of rapidly changing technology, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Time is spent in traffic rushing to follow busy schedules, jostled between work, home and family commitments. Eyes remain focused on the lists we have created for each day, hoping nothing out of the ordinary occurs to delay or impede the accomplishment of our goals.

In the process, the little things are often missed or overlooked.

One of the best reminders to paying attention to the little things is to take a walk with a child. This can be either just down the block or on a trail in the woods.

With their eyes closer to the ground, they will notice things long forgotten by you. This could be an ant trail that amazes them or a tiny flower. The possibilities are endless, and a quick thirty minute walk could easily take two hours. The time spent is priceless, and it will open your mind again to the joys of seeing as a child.

Not all of you have children, but that does not limit the opportunities to freshen your senses.

Instead of stressing out in traffic or driving down the road intent only on the destination, notice in the periphery things otherwise forgotten. I am obviously not saying to completely distract yourself from the road, but the world around us does provide surprises.

I was reminded of this myself while in Denali this past summer.

There is no cell reception in the park, and I often had time alone at the cabin waiting for tours. My entertainment consisted of observing the antics of several wildlife. If I had just been passing through in a rush, most, if not all, of this would have remained unseen. True, many of us rarely get the chance to escape far into the wilderness, but things where you live can be made new to you also.

Many of those who visited Denali were in a rush. They often were disappointed at not seeing certain wildlife.

One of the tour drivers, as well as another interpreter, started doing something to remind them to notice the little things. They would ask the tour group to slowly turn completely in a circle and then told them, “If you concentrate on seeing or doing only one thing, you will miss everything else you just saw while turning around.”