It happens every day, more than once. It happened just before I began writing this, and it will happen before I’m finished.
Distraction.
Jumping back and forth between this and that, making tea, running to the store, taking a victory lap because I wrote a good sentence. I need some water. Calling a friend instead of completing the task I’m working on. Hi Lori.
There’s paying attention to things I don’t really care about just because it’s there, the Will Smith debacle—scrolling on Facebook, reading news pages, what is alopecia anyway? News story upon news story about this or that or something else that I begin to read and then realize I don’t care. Why am I giving this my attention?
Is it too much caffeine? Not enough?
Is it because I think I’ll miss something? Do I believe the gleaned information will add anything to my life? Give me something to talk about at cocktail parties? By the way, I haven’t been to a cocktail party since 1995.
I just checked my email.
Where could I be focusing my mind instead? What else could I be doing?
Splintered, scattered, all over the place. Do I have things I want to do that don’t involve who slapped who, what everyone thinks about it, and the latest cute dog or cat video posted by the We Love Cats FB page? How many pictures of cats or videos of dogs singing do I need to see in my lifetime? Ok, monkies. Monkey videos are worth it.
If it’s not Facebook, it’s Youtube, Twitter or Instagram. So many distractions, the latest celebrity crisis, or what so-n-so just did, and can you believe it?
There’s a fleur de sel salted caramel chocolate in the kitchen. I swear it’s screaming my name.
So this week’s reflection has to do with considering where is your attention?
When you’re with a friend, are you more focused on your phone than on a conversation with the person before you? Does your phone ring and ping and pull your attention from any semblance of an in-person connection? Have you heard of silent mode?
What are you doing that you don’t want to do, and what aren’t you doing that would make you happier? Tickle your soul?
I’ve heard people say, “Life’s too short” for this or that, and I’ve often responded, “Or too long.”
Life is long, and life is short, and you have dominion over yourself.
The Serenity Prayer is called The Serenity Prayer for a reason. It provides solace in so many circumstances – Higher Power, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
Do your actions lead to connection and satisfaction, or are they distractions? Are you aware of doing something out of habit instead of interest? Awareness is the start of doing it differently. Hm. Maybe you don’t need to focus on the latest ________________ fill in the blank.
What do you want to change in your life? What are you going to do about it? When?