Precious Attention & Wise Focus

In this post:

1. Discern your precious attention.

2. Distinguish scanning and focusing.

3. Review the Five Treasures/Values for Content Consuming

4. Consider the Five Warnings that lead to Wise Focusing (for paid subscribers only)

Your Precious Attention: How to Discern What Truly Feeds Your Soul

Did my last post provide you with an understanding of how to evaluate all the content you're consuming? Knowing what to say yes and no to is freedom! Today, it's harder than ever to overcome the seduction of content, each piece vying for your invaluable attention.

Mary Oliver's powerful question echoes in my mind, and I hope it sounds deeply in your choices too: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

It's challenging, almost painful, to realize that this precious life is made up of moments. Each moment is precious and irreplaceable. Every day, I see how easily moments can be wasted. If these wasted moments were bricks, I'd have enough to build a large home in which to sit and squander even more of my precious, highly valuable attention.

Right now, rewatching Downton Abby is making lots of enjoyable bricks and consuming too much of my precious life. Please share in the comments what is building bricks in your life.

Photo by Niilo Isotalo on Unsplash

Finding the Precious Tree — Scanning or Focusing?

As content consumers and spiritual seekers in today’s digital world, we have two polarities of attention: scanning and focusing. I am always scanning the forest, looking for the tree I want to rest against or climb. There are so many trees!

Scanning is easy, which makes it addictive. Focusing is hard and requires discipline.

Scanning is entertaining, sometimes enjoyable, but only focusing will enrich you.

Scanning is about possibilities. Focusing is about value.

If you know the value you want to focus on, scanning can serve you.

Share in the comments your relationship to scanning and focusing. I will be writing a post about this polarity of attention as it can clarify the impact of temperament and trauma on our search for self, for spirit, and for success.

The Five Values: What Makes Content Worth Your Time?

I promise you, this wisdom is worth your attention. It offers a powerful framework for evaluating whether content genuinely nourishes your soul. Here are five precious possibilities that give true value to your focused attention. They will help you discern if the content you are consuming is worthy of your soul:

• Relatability: "I can relate to this."

• Actionability: "I can do something with this."

• Reinforcement: "This reflects something I believe/want."

• New Perspective: "This gives me a new perspective."

• Transformation: "This will change me in some way."

These five criteria are invaluable to consider at the end of your day and to reflect on in your journal. Reading and listening can provide value, but journaling reveals the treasure.

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Make Your Focusing Wise: Five Crucial Warnings about Overvaluing

I am so excited to share what I discovered and learned when I was inspired to look for the shadows and seductions of the Five Values. I am certain you will find them wisdom-building warnings worthy of your attention.

(As a grandmother who was once a teenager, I hope I find a right moment to share these warnings with my grandchildren.)

When we perceive value, we can easily overvalue. We must always be discerning, measuring, and questioning to recognize the right value. Learn how to develop:

• Critical Thinking

• Critical Feeling

• Critical Willing

These are key elements of equanimity.

I intend to always offer enrichment, content worthy of your precious moments of focused attention, always worth journaling about to make it your own inner treasured value. But you are the one who discerns and evaluates the content and determines its application in your reality. You decide what it is worth.

In this post, paid subscribers will also receive significant insights into how to develop wise focus and find the right value.

For my paid subscribers – the community members who truly resonate with and find deep value in what I share – I've prepared something even more vital: five warnings that will make your focusing wise.

If you're a free subscriber, I invite you to upgrade to a paid subscription today and gain immediate access to these invaluable warnings. For just a few dollars a month, you're not just supporting this work; you're making a conscious investment in your own profound experiences of selfhood, direct connection to spirit, and achieving greater incarnational success. As a thank you for your commitment to your precious and valuable life, you'll receive a 20% discount when you upgrade now.

Your time and attention are your most precious commodities. Let's make sure every moment counts.

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