Everybody and everything wants your attention. Coke wants it. Your sweetheart wants it. Your Mom wants it. Your friends want it. Your TV set wants it. So obviously do advertisers. Your dog wants your attention, so does your cat but she won’t admit it. Everybody and everything wants your attention.
Millionaires want your attention, probably more than they want money. Politicians want your vote and your attention.
Attention is constantly in demand. It also appears to be in short supply.
People suffer from attention deficit disorder (ADD). At least we have been told that they do. The easiest way to prove to yourself that your attention is in demand is to notice what people will do to get it.
They will pay millions for super bowl adds. They will have sex with you. They will strip naked and pose for magazine pictures. They will argue with you and agree with you. They will climb the highest mountain or act in movies. They will do practically anything to get your attention.
But, oddly, we really don’t know what attention is. If you were asked to define attention, and, given my occupation I have often been asked that, I wonder what you would say. I try and say something different each time I answer a question about attention. That way my answer will, hopefully, entertain me and make what I’m saying worth paying attention to.
I have been studying attention for the past thirty years. I have learned a lot about it and I have also developed a deep appreciate for the vast amount I don’t know about it.
Here are a few things I know about attention.
It isn’t limited.
It is what makes us human beings.
It isn’t concrete.
It is boundless.
When it is focused on something it tends to disappear and that something tends to prevail.
There is a direct correlation between attention and quality of life.
Attention is awareness with focus.
To be a “good” or “successful” or “happy” human being you need to master attention.
Attention isn’t as easy to talk about as it is to experience. I am interested in teaching you the useful things I have learned about attention in the shortest amount of time possible. I would like to offer you basic steps that will assist you in mastering attention.
Becoming a master of attention, or at least becoming great friend or lover to attention is sufficient to have life be worth living. To remain relatively clueless about attention is to live a life of sleepiness and stress, to be moved by forces outside yourself and to miss, or misuse, your personal power.
I don’t want to tell you anything more about attention. I want you to experience attention in particular ways which will assist you in using attention effectively, efficiently and fulfillingly.
To get to know attention takes a little bit of discipline. It is roughly analogous to getting in good physical condition. You can begin simply, but don’t overdo. I will offer you specific exercises, which, if you do them, will deepen your understanding of and ability with attention. You will cure ADD if you happen to have it and you will lengthen your attention span becoming the master of at least your own attention and a great influence on the attention of others.
For the first attention building exercise, check out
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that’s so true Jerry
we don’t pay attention to developing the attention habit!
thanks for reminding us of these important facts
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