Larry: “I can’t see! I can’t see!”

Moe: “What’s the matter?”

Larry: “I got my eyes closed!”

~The Three Stooges

I was recently reminded of this skit by the Three Stooges, and it got me thinking: How often do we—myself included—go about our own daily lives with blinders on, oblivious to what’s happening all around us?

Unlike Larry, our eyes are certainly open—but due to the frenetic pace of our lives, we can sometimes fail to be totally in the moment with the people, places and events we encounter on a daily basis.

We look at something, but don’t take in the full picture. We hear someone speak, but don’t listen to all the words. We touch someone or something we care about, but don’t stop to feel. Yet the fact is, our lives become a lot richer when we’re able to slow down and live fully in each moment.

So…as soon you click off of this page, try this little experiment. Start paying total attention, by immersing yourself in the small but beautiful details of life.

• Really taste, in fact savor, that cup of Fair Trade coffee or tea in the cup sitting next to you. It that good or what?

• Stop and listen to the birds outside your window. Catch them at the right time and you can hear a beautiful two or three-part harmony. (I’ve got a Crosby, Stills & Nash of the wild living in my backyard.)

• Reach out and touch the next friend or acquaintance who crosses your path with a compliment or a kind word. They’ll feel good about it. So will you.

Once you get the ball rolling, you’ll see how different life appears when you use all your senses during each moment of the day. When you’re totally engaged in your surroundings, you gain a new appreciation for all life has to offer.