April 2017 Newsletter

Hello, and an excellent April to you!
Welcome, or welcome back, to my newsletter. The photo above is me in my home office, maybe taking a break from writing a newsletter! Do you have a comfortable place to do the work you love?

Today's issue has an article about attention, which I believe is central to a fulfilling life. Enjoy!

As a solitary introverted child, I spent as much time as possible reading books, one after the other, merging with the worlds described in those pages. I did not have to force myself to pay attention to the words, I wanted to absorb every syllable. Today, many years later, it is still obvious to me that if I give something my full attention, I can more fully enjoy it or learn from it. When I'm walking in my neighborhood and see someone on the sidewalk peering at a cell phone, perhaps with a chattering child in tow, I cringe. I know the parent or grandparent is not really listening to the child, nor to the orchestra of birdsong, nor glorying in the Spring scenery. As in the picture, with a mind filled with static, the richness of the moment can't be experienced.

Two obstacles to paying attention, which I have to watch out for myself, are rushing and multi-tasking. Studies have shown that folks who do one thing at a time are much more productive than those who try to complete several tasks at once. Yet I often hear people boast about their ability to multi-task. If you're honest with yourself, you'll admit that what you think of as multi-tasking is working on one thing, then switching to another, then moving back to complete the first task. I have found it's more efficient not to rush, but to proceed methodically, my attention only on the task at hand.

I'd like to say a word about enjoyment, which I think gets overlooked in this accomplishment-oriented culture. It's difficult to enjoy anything when you're not fully present, not giving it your complete attention. I just gave myself a break from work to take out the garbage, focusing on the experience instead of giving most of my attention to what I would do next. I savored the fresh air and the chirping birds, and smiled as I pictured the lack of garbage in the corner of the kitchen when I came back inside. I let my gaze play over the new green grass and the snow that's still melting as I write this. And I could give my attention more fully to my work after the short break.

Back when I regularly ran miles and miles, I often tripped in a pothole or otherwise injured myself because I wasn't paying attention. Many times I missed things by not being present. Being fully "here" is the safest place to be, because you have access to all of your faculties. And you learn more, as any teacher of distracted students can tell you. And it's where the juice of Real Life is. "They call it the Present because it's a Gift". Pay attention, or you might miss your gift!

To read my thoughts on vision and attention, click here.

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Please send me your questions and comments
Let me know what you've wondered about concerning energy medicine or vision or dreams. I'll be glad to write a short article addressing that topic. Thank you to those who have sent me questions, or see a question you asked me in a private session written about here. You're helping many other people! Enjoy the beginning of your April. I'll write again in a couple of weeks. Take care!