A Commuter's Discovery
- Ted Garcia
- Jul 25
- 2 min read
Welcome Back, Fellow Noticers!
Hello again, dear readers of The Noticing Stone Blog! It's wonderful to have you here as we close out another week together. Today, I want to share a simple story about discovering presence in the most unexpected moments—and how three little words can transform an ordinary day.
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Today’s story is about a Commuter's Discovery.
Sarah had taken the same train to work for three years. Every morning, she'd board car number four, claim her usual seat by the window, and immediately disappear into her phone. Emails, news, social media—anything to make the forty-minute journey pass quickly.
But this Tuesday started differently. Her phone was dead.
At first, panic. Then frustration. Finally, surrender.
With nothing to distract her, Sarah found herself actually looking out the window. That's when she noticed the old man in the garden beside the tracks. Every day—how had she missed this?—he tended his vegetables with such careful attention. His movements were deliberate, gentle. He would pause between plants, simply observing each one before moving on.
Something about his presence made Sarah pause too. She took a breath—really took one, not the shallow gasps she usually managed between tasks. She noticed the morning light catching the dew on his tomato plants. She noticed her own reflection in the window, and for once, she looked peaceful.
When her stop arrived, Sarah realized she felt different. Calmer. More present. More... here.
The next morning, her phone was fully charged. But she kept it in her bag. She had discovered something more valuable than any notification: the simple practice of Pause, Notice, Return to the present. The old gardener had unknowingly taught her that mindfulness isn't about perfect meditation—it's about choosing awareness over distraction, presence over absence.
Now Sarah's commute has become her daily mindfulness practice. She carries a small, smooth stone in her pocket—her Noticing Stone. When her mind begins to race with the day's worries, she simply holds it in her palm, feeling its weight, its coolness, its smooth surface. This simple touch interrupts her mental chatter and brings her back to the present moment. She pauses, notices what's actually happening around her, and returns to now. And sometimes, she waves to her teacher in the garden.
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Science supports the benefits practicing simple moments of mindfulness.
Research from UCLA shows that even brief moments of mindful awareness can reduce activity in the brain's default mode network—the area responsible for mental chatter and worry. Dr. Judson Brewer's studies reveal that practicing simple awareness techniques like "pause, notice, return" can decrease anxiety and increase emotional regulation in just minutes.
The beauty lies in its simplicity: you don't need apps, cushions, or special training. Just the willingness to pause your autopilot and notice what's here, right now.
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Thank you for being part of this mindful community. Your presence here—in this moment, reading these words—is itself a practice of noticing. Until we meet again, may you find your own moments of pause, notice, and return.
Keep noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary.
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