I just finished the book Surprise your Mind, Ana Ibáñez (which I recommend), and there is a phrase in it that has made me reflect:
“The quality of your life depends on where you put your attention”
It is a phrase much more important and lucid of what seems to the naked eye. I think you have all the reason; the quality of our life depends on something as fundamental and simple as this. However, we rarely stop to assess where we place our attention, and we tend to let ourselves be carried away by the momentum.
From the time we wake up, without realizing it, they forge a struggle around for our attention: our children and partner, clients, customers, colleagues, the notification of the social network of turn (WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube…) that invites us to read a message or watch a video, picture, meme, or anything else; the news of Google or newspaper; I myself, for you to read this article or my books; Netflix, for you to see your series; Spotify, to listen to your music or podcasts; and a thousand etceteras more.
The quality of our life depends on the decisions we make, whether conscious or unconscious, about where we place our attention. If I can devote 100% of my attention to my clients (something we probably all should do), you may not be able to serve 100 % of my peers, or you would have to subtract time to my family and friends. If you “decide” to spend an hour a day (or more) doing “scroll”, reading news headlines, watching videos, and memes on WhatsApp, or publications of other people in social networks, you may need to sacrifice time to exercise, read a book, play with my children, sleep more or drink a coffee with a friend. Time is finite; the day has only 24 hours.
When I try to teach my clients more sedentary the importance of integrating in their lives the habit of physical activity daily, many tell me that they have “no time”. Except in rare exceptions, most of the time is not true (although they are) created; it is never a question of time, it is always a question of priorities: to what things to prioritize in your life, where you put your attention.
Where we do not care, does not exist; therefore, with our attention, we have the power of making something exist or is not for us in a given moment, and that’s a lot of power. We can direct it towards things that provide value to our life, that do not add anything, or even subtract. The same thing happens with the thoughts: if we focus our attention on negative things, how are you going to be our mood?
In short, it is worth reflecting on where we place our focus.
Evaluate if we really are turning our attention to where we want or if we simply allow ourselves to be carried by the inertia, robbing us of time to do other things that we would like, and for that “we don’t have time”.
To be clear about the destination we want to reach each day and, even though the inevitable events and unforeseen does not allow us to advance in a straight line, at least to avoid that the “kidnappers care” will take us in the opposite direction.
“Attention is the taking possession of the mind and, therefore, allows us to select our reality”
William James
(Philosopher and psychologist of the NINETEENTH century)
