When was the last time you simply stared at a tree, a cloud or a flower without trying to analyze or understand, instead just being glad that they are? Notice the world around you, especially the small things you’ve been overlooking since childhood.

*  What odors can you smell around you at this moment? Can you push past the coffee machine, the new furniture smell and notice other less invasive odors? Is there a plant near you perhaps, or a lovely perfume lingering on the air? At lunchtime, go for a walk and smell the fragrances of the local streets, a park, the waterfront. Focus on your sense of smell.

*  What can you see? Not just the cubicle walls and your neighboring co-workers. Can you see the sky, see across a street, or see a beautiful plant in the office? Can you see beyond what is in front of you to things that really matter to your mind?

*  What can you sense? The hum of machines, the working of other people, the vibrations of other people’s thoughts?

*  What can you touch? What textures, patterns and surfaces around you awaken a new approach to seeing your daily seat and desk? Find something new about the usual dullness you feel confronted by.