The Practice of Sacred Noticing: How to Transform Your Spiritual Footprint (Noticing the Sacred)

The Practice of Sacred Noticing: Transforming Your Spiritual Footprint

What if the most important thing about every conversation you have is not what you say — but what you leave behind?

The Practice of Sacred Noticing begins with a deceptively simple idea: every encounter

leaves a trace. A feeling that lingers. An atmosphere that shifts. A presence that remains

long after you’ve left the room. at trace is your spiritual footprint—and whether you

know it or not, you are shaping it every day.

Sacred Noticing is the practice of becoming conscious of that shaping: three movements—

Notice. Pause. Respond. These bridge the gap between intention and impact, between

morning intentions and afternoon reactivity, between who you mean to be and the

presence you really leave behind.

Rooted in the Franciscan and Christian contemplative tradition yet accessible to anyone

willing to try, this book is for spiritual seekers and skeptics, professionals navigating

high-pressure environments, and anyone who has sensed that ordinary moments carry more

weight than we usually give them.

This is not a book about doing more. It is a book about seeing differently—and discovering that once you truly see, you cannot unsee.

• A three-movement practice — Notice. Pause. Respond. — that works in morning intentions and afternoon crisis alike

• Rooted in Franciscan and Celtic contemplative tradition, accessible to anyone willing to be open hearted and conscious in the moment

• Bridges the gap between formal spiritual practice and the rest of your day

• Applies equally to relationships, leadership, and the unexpected moments that shape your life

• Not another mindfulness method — a way of understanding and encountering the lasting presence you leave in every encounter

Dr. Michael Cunningham, OFS, is an award-winning business authorwhose work today explores the intersection of spiritual seeking, humanconnection, and the search for authentic identity. Born of Irish parentsin rural Wales and raised in England, Cunningham draws on his ownexperience of liminal existence-navigating between cultures, faithtraditions, and intellectual worlds-to create writings that illuminate thecomplexity of contemporary life.Michael completed his doctoral studies in ministry and spiritualityat the Catholic University of America. He works in ministry and writesconsistently. His essays, poems, and conferences on faith, philosophy, and the natural world have been represented in hundreds of retreatsand events. When not writing, Cunningham leads retreats focusingon spirituality and creativity at various centers, particularly inCalifornia. He divides his time between a home in the San FranciscoBay Area and the San Damiano Retreat in Danville, CA, where he isthe Executive Director.