Do you ever find yourself in a conversation with a friend or colleague and your mind has meandered to another place? You quickly snap out of it. Or maybe you don’t, until you realize your friend is waiting for a response, or at least an acknowledgement that you were listening. Or do you walk away after meeting a new individual and realize you’ve already forgotten their name?
For most, the art of paying attention is a learned skill that is refined only through practice. It closely aligns with being present in your moment. This can be difficult for people who enjoy and succeed at multi-tasking on a daily basis. This was me, in every sense of the term…a multi-tasking super mom and employee. What I found is, though efficient and productive, perhaps I wasn’t giving my best self to each task or person I encountered. Paying attention takes discipline and builds willpower. It will bring you freedom from the internal dialogue and noise in your brain.
So, practice being mindful. Put down your phone (after you finish reading this blog of course). Turn off the distractions in your mind and in your physical space. Be present in YOUR moment. What you will find is an enriched sense of self and significant life connections.
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“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”
Simone Weil, French philosopher and activist
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