In the book I also advocate for a smaller scale of attention, or just a different scale of attention. I realize that not everyone can go outside right now, but as an example, I’ve been going on the same walk over and over again. I live at the bottom of a hill, and on maybe the fourth or fifth time walking up this hill, I just started wondering,... See more

I take care of the beautiful things — whether it’s a sound, a sentence, a feeling — so they can keep growing, so they don’t disappear unnoticed. And when you ask me what makes me admire someone, that’s it. That ability to pay attention. That’s the trait I notice most in others. It’s quiet, but powerful.

Someone who makes me think differently, even... See more

I once met a poet who carried a tiny notebook everywhere she went and wrote down at least one quippy observation about every encounter she had throughout the day. The barista’s hair was a desperate shade of purple. The woman at the table beside her drew out the word “yes” like a stalling tactic. The boss’s name slid off the doorman’s tongue like

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