Last week my office was in complete disarray. Stacks of books stood precariously in the middle of the room; walls, stripped of artwork, revealed rusty nails and gaping holes; contents of drawers—five-years’ worth of flotsam and jetsam—spilled off the desk onto the floor. It looked like a hurricane had blown through.

In fact, a hurricane was making its presence known outside the building. But the mess inside had nothing to do with the storm.

My office was undergoing a renovation blitz, carefully orchestrated to occur over the span of a weekend so as not to disrupt business. In the space of three days, old furniture was cleared out, new furniture moved in, and a fresh coat of paint applied. Hurricane Sandy threatened to disrupt the schedule. But we got lucky in DC, feeling only minor effects from the gusting winds and heavy rains. So the redesign project went without a hitch.

After the meteorlogical hurricane, I returned to work in a completely different space: new chairs, new sofa, new bookcases, new tables and lamps, new floorplan, new paint color. Only the old desk remained.

Each person I saw had a reaction. There were the expected, “It looks great!” and “I like the color!” But other comments made me realize how oblivious we often can be to our surroundings.

“Did you get a new couch?” (Yes, and also new chairs, tables, and bookcases.)

“Is this couch bigger than the old one?” (Almost twice as large as the former love seat.)

“I love the new desk!” (Referring to the only piece of furniture I didn’t replace.)

And my personal favorite:  “What happened to your windows?” (Formerly windowless, my office, sadly, still remains so.)

Aside from the obvious (or, for some, not so obvious) changes in the decor, people saw the office in a new light because the seating arrangement was different. It’s amazing how off-balance such a shift in perspective can make us feel.

Try it yourself at home, and you’ll see what I mean. You don’t need to redecorate. Just sit in a different chair from the one you habitually occupy at the dinner table. Or watch TV from the armchair instead of the sofa. Changing your point of view can jolt you out of the “autopilot” state of mind we so often inhabit. It’s a simple, but powerful, lesson in mindfulness.