Attention is our most valuable possession.
Without it, we are pretty much useless as humans, because it is fundamental to our ability to learn, make decisions, create memories and of course, keep ourselves safe. So it is no wonder that as our attention has eroded through our daily behaviours, we are losing control over our most precious resource, and all the factors it impacts.
Attention allows us to concentrate and think deeply, but to do this well requires practice and much of this practice is done in the formative years, when our brain is developing the fastest. However, it also happens throughout our youth and into our twenties to some degree, until our prefrontal cortex is fully developed. But these days, rather than building an environment that develops our ability to focus and problem solve, we have one that draws our attention to build in ways that are not conducive to being good thinkers. Shortform content scrolling, 3-minute videos, and an endless stream to ensure we never need think for ourselves.
What may or may not surprise some people, is that our ability to focus has a profound impact on our mental health, with high levels of attention linked to improved productivity, reduced stress and even, higher confidence. And not only this, it also impacts on every other skill we need to develop, as well as our relationships, and our ability to notice, evaluate and adapt to our environment - which keeps us out of trouble at best, gets us out of trouble when required, or puts us into trouble if absent.
It is because of this that my own loss of attention has been so detrimental, because rather than losing it over time or not developing it, I had it developed and lost it in an instant. It really is like losing a limb or two, and then having to get on with life as normal the next day, achieving the same results as before. Brain injuries are quite different to visible physical injuries, because the expectations of the world don't allow for them.
What I find interesting though, is that through our behaviours we are effectively handicapping ourselves and our children, by doing things that undeniably affect our wellbeing. If our attention is affected, everything is affected. And I suspect at some point the way we act now will be seen a bit like smoking, where it irrefutably causes harm, but through various lobby influences it is put into the "to each their own" category. But if a parent forces their child to smoke, even second-hand smoke in many places, it is illegal.
But it is not illegal to stunt a child's mental development.
Now, don't get stuck on the legality aspect, rather focus on the fact that while many parents want what is "best" for their children, yet due to human nature and external influences, will naturally do what is most convenient, which tends not to be what is best for their children. Human nature is a strong influence over our behaviours and even when not in our own best interest, we will do things that reward us now, but cost us later.
Pay attention.
It is the best investment we can make.
The cost is mental energy, but the gain has no ceiling. And it is even more asymmetric at the moment, because the majority of people are not paying attention, so the competitive advantage is outsized. And these days, there are a lot of tools we can use as reminders for where we should be paying attention, and where we are paying attention. Most phones can show where screen time is spent, take note.
Create a profile of where we want to be, work out what actions are required, and then set up checks and balances to ensure we lower the barrier to doing them, are reminded to do them, and frequently check in on them. Because if they are not in our daily attention, they will not be done. This is the same for all the things we believe about ourselves, *but don't actually fulfil.
Without our attention, we float by, doing very little of intended consequence, but there are consequences. Many of the problems we face in the world today is because the majority are not paying attention, but are being manipulated and influenced by the minority who are. Our attention is a currency, and we are trading it away for nothing in return except ill health, eroding community, and a lowering quality of life across the board.
Our dog was looking intently out the window from the couch in the office and slid down between the cushions. He couldn't get out from there and needed help. If he had been paying attention, he wouldn't have got himself into trouble.
Taraz
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