The Art of Noticing

In conditions of uncertainty, the most vital thing is to notice what is going on around us. Everything else depends on it. The challenge is that uncertainty triggers fear, which makes us focus on the source of what is alarming us. When that source is tangible, like a tiger, that's useful, but when what triggers it is stories we tell ourselves, not so much. The stories multiply and mix, and before we know it, we are stuck, hunting for a source of fear that doesn't really exist.

Bees are better equipped than us. They have three small eyes, or Ocellli, for navigating and orienting themselves and two compound eyes, which each comprise thousands of individual lenses to do the essential work of figuring out the detail of their environment. (They also don't make up stories to frighten themselves). Unless we're Spiderman, we can't do that.

Each of us senses the world differently. We see things differently, hear what is said by others differently, and interpret what we feel on a very individual …