Recently, I found myself taking a ten minute break from work. I sat on the steps outside in the chilly air and looked up at the sky. A bird, hundreds of feet in the air, soared above the landscape, unencumbered. I simply watched, not trying to capture the moment or make it last. It only appeared for a moment, then glided in an arc and vanished behind a building.

Looking at the world like a child would, without thought or judgement, allows you to step immediately into the hidden room of reality. It’s bursting with life, if only you can step outside of your thoughts long enough to see it. Watching the bird, I fell into an ecstatic bliss, but that doesn’t have to be reserved for singular moments. With simple, gentle attention to your surroundings, you can brighten your world—no holy light required.

To know that we always have the power to change our world into something holy and fragile is a gift beyond belief. Every moment is a a glimpse at the whole, a fragment that gives you a window into understanding. Once you enlarge your understanding of the present moment past space and time, you begin to sense the real grandeur of what we are living in. This is our world to enjoy and love, and every bit of attention livens it.

The simplicity of watching the bird was breathtaking. I sat and I watched, and everything else fell away. All it takes is a single strand of attention. If you can use this attention to make the moment simple, you can find joy in any moment. Whatever task you’re doing, do it with your full attention and you’ll taste the enormity of the moment.