I once heard a wise man say: “Attention is like water from a garden hose. Whatever you place it on will grow.”
The most valuable asset each of us owns is our attention. And if we were to ever find ourselves in the throes of change so unexpected or unanticipated that we are unable to detect any good that can come from it, a powerful question to ask ourselves is: where will I place my attention right now?
In other words, do I place my attention on what I feel I am (or someone else is) lacking? Am I going to focus on the worst possible interpretation of this event and construct an assumption-laden storyline to support that viewpoint?
Or, do I make the conscious choice to affirm the high end of all that I am? And am I going to acknowledge that this too is happening for my highest and best good, even if I don’t yet understand how and why?
These two directions can lead to polar opposite inner experiences: one where we play the victim in an unfair life versus the other where we accept the role of co-creator in a life that is unfolding perfectly. Even not making a conscious choice is still making a choice as far as Nature is concerned.
It’s so easy to sulk, to gossip, to negate, and to allow our emotions to control us. But when we make the powerful choice to calibrate our attention with the evolutionary intention of Nature’s intelligence, then we may have an easier time accepting that life’s inevitable let downs and disappointments are beyond our immediate control. We may also find it a little easier to let go of that nagging need to know why things turned out like they did.
To that end, our attention can either spiral us further out into confusion and self-flagellation, or it can become the paintbrush with which we continue to create and refine our wonderfully adventurous, ever-evolving life where we may not know what’s coming next, but we do know that it will ultimately lead to something good. Nature awaits our cue, but the choice is always ours.
Happy Holidays and warm regards,
Light
—
Light is a Meditation teacher in Los Angeles Caliornia
Check him out at www.MyMeditationTeacher.com
