What has held your attention over the last year? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“By going out of your mind, you come to your senses.”
“When you pay attention to boredom, it gets unbelievably interesting.”
“For lack of attention, a thousand forms of loveliness elude us everyday.”
Image from Unsplash by Kelly Sikkema
It’s funny the experiences we store in our memories.
One that stands out for me is getting my first-grade report card from Mrs. Gray. I received an “E” in work habits with the comment Barry is a nice boy but he needs to pay closer attention. Distractability seemed to follow me and other students—mostly boys—throughout grade school, until I applied to my dad’s alma mater, Central High School. I distinctly remember buckling down to be eventually accepted, which made my dad very proud.
At that time in my life, I realized being mindful and focused was a source of accomplishing the things I desired. What has been your experience of the passage of time?
To what degree have you embraced the law of impermanence over the years? How is the aging process and your mindfulness efforts opening new portals of discovery?
Image from Unsplash by Ravi Perchik
Our grandson Weston has been taking swimming lessons at a local aquatic club since last fall. Over the past few months, we’ve noticed a plateauing effect on his progress. His weekly 30-minute classes have a single instructor and three other students, thus limiting his individualized attention.
With the warmer weather, he now swims outside on a regular basis with the family and gets many more hours of personal attention and wrinkled fingers. To our delight, his progress has taken a giant leap and he is quickly moving from a guppy to a dolphin in his abilities.
Where do you demonstrate the greatest level of focus?
How does your single-minded attention impact your experience of these events and your ability to perform at your best?
Image from Unsplash by Stephen Kraakmo
How fired up have you been feeling lately? Who are the people and what are the things that spark your interest and grab your attention? To what degree are you fully engaged and focused on aspects of your life that light up your heart and soul?
Think back to a time when you first used a magnifying glass. How long did it take you to learn that they could not only enlarge the objects you were viewing, but also focus the sun’s light to make fire?
How mindful are you as you go about your typical day?
What is the wattage of your awareness lighting your path?
How often do you take the time to truly concentrate on your relationships and daily activities to set your life ablaze?
Where and how could greater mindfulness and concentration fire up and brighten up your life?
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There seems to be a continuum between selfish and selfless tendencies for most of us. On one hand, sustainable happiness and life satisfaction are rarely seen by focusing solely on ourselves. On the other, the complete focus only on the needs of others — although noble — has been demonstrated to also have a down side, including burnout and health challenges.
Where do you see yourself between these two poles?
How do you meet your own needs to have the capacity to serve and support others in your communities?
Where and when is it appropriate to be SELF-ISH to meet your own needs, or to be OTHER-ISH to meet the needs of others? How would doing so meet your own need for purpose and a more meaningful life? Consider checking out Joshua Becker’s new book, Things That Matter, for additional ideas on this subject.
This is Ella!
My granddaughter Ella is now about four months old. We adore her sparkling personality and gorgeous eyes, and love watching her gaze at the world around her with delight and wonder.
She especially loves looking at people’s faces, ceiling fans, and various digital devices. The other day we caught her watching the Olympic games as if she was a figure skating judge.
As grown-ups, time and entrenched habits often dull the specialness of things around us. Our brains fill in the attention gaps to be efficient and save the energy of looking at things more closely. Perhaps this is why many people enjoy traveling to new places.
Where and how can you refocus on your world a bit more, like Ella? How would a fresh view on the seemingly ordinary aspects of life offer you many more wonders to discover?
Image from Unsplash by Daniil Kuželev
We all experience hyper-focus from time to time. Some top priority grabs our complete attention and the rest of the world just disappears.
What are the benefits and costs to you personally and professionally in such situations? What is one such priority that comes to mind today or in the recent past where this was an opportunity or an issue?
Where in your life is keeping things too close blocking your view of other stars that need your attention?
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To what degree are you playing the short game in your professional and personal life? Where are you observing this tendency in those around you and in society in general?
Where are you seeing a focus on making your numbers, winning the game, and immediate gratification causing all sorts of challenges that seem to separate us instead of bringing us together?
The Infinite Game, by Simon Sinek, challenges this short game perspective. He describes a reality far more conducive to our deep-seated human need to contribute to something bigger, as we also provide for ourselves and our families.
Where in your local, national, or global communities is it time to work together on a far more permanent long game, to realize a more unified and brighter future?
Consider taking a look at Simon Sinek’s Infinite Game YouTube presentation.
Image from Unsplash by Yi Liu
Did you know that you can become a lifetime member of the International Juggler’s Association for only $1,250? As a bonus, you can include up to five additional members of your family (if they live at the same address) at no additional cost. The world records for juggling various numbers of balls are:
| # of Balls | Record Time |
|---|---|
| 3 | 12 hours, 5 minutes |
| 4 | 2 hours, 46 minutes, 48 seconds |
| 5 | 2 hours, 41 minutes, 27 seconds |
| 6 | 25 minutes, 17 seconds |
| 7 | 16 minutes, 25 seconds |
| 8 | 1 minute, 13 seconds |
How many balls are you trying to keep up in the air, and how many are dropping? To what degree have you already become a lifetime member of the association without paying the membership fee? What are the right balls, and the right number of balls, to put in your juggling rotation for an optimal life?
Image from Unsplash by AbsolutVision
To what degree have you felt lost over the past several months?
Where did you once have clarity in your life, and to what extent do things now seem to be foggy?
Now is the time to be your own compass, to verify your “True North” and set forth with more confidence and commitment.
What are the values, beliefs, and priorities that generate the magnetic field within you, keeping you on course regardless of small or mountainous issues along the way?
How do you know when you are on the right path?
What personal or professional adjustments will you make today to better follow your own inner compass?