To intention and attention- to clarity of purpose, and awareness of the centers from which our motivations come. Increasingly our intention and attention has been hijacked or at least strongly pulled at by the digital devices in our pocket’s purses and in our homes. Of course, I’m talking about our smartphones, TV’s, and computers. Have you ever found yourself looking at your phone, swiping right and then suddenly realizing you just wasted 30 minutes or more? With so many distractions, News, Drama and psychological tricks and strategies being pushed at us in this modern-day world the need for self-awareness is key. Moreover,clarity of purpose, and awareness of our intention and attention is paramount. As well, careful choice in the centers from which our motivations come- is increasingly important.
Addictive Technology
Sophisticated marketing science and psychology are being used on us daily. In short, we are living in an age of addictive technology. What effect this is having on our children? Through social media, video games, marketing, and messaging, these effects are yet to unfold in the future. My concern is that if we don’t teach ourselves and our children how to be in touch with their intention and attention on the innermost level, and where they are aiming, it will be easy for them and us to become less effective and less able to guide ourselves clearly in our lives.
What is at the center of where you are coming from?
Is it fear, uncertainty, reactivity, or the desire to feel and be important? Or even worse, greed, anger, and competitiveness. Through cultivating our awareness of our intention and attention and where we are aiming it, we can choose to come at things from a more joyful peaceful center. I would recommend a center of kindness, compassion, acceptance, creativity, proactivity, courage, love, and joy. As we come from these centers, we weave a far more joyful productive peaceful and constructive reality for ourselves.
The effect of negative emotional states on our choices as a consumer is very powerful. These negative states can quickly shift our intention and attention. As such, people in the marketing world are well aware of this and use it to their advantage to sell things to us daily. This fear makes you want to buy stuff to feel better, plain and simple. This psychology ties into our caveman brain logic that goes like this – there’s a problem, I’m worried about it, I will go out into my environment and get something to solve it, then I will feel OK again.
The problem is that these days most of our problems are all in our heads and they are created subtly through influences being peddled to us from the devices in our pockets. Even further, the solutions are presented to us in the forms of things that we can buy from the very same devices.
Intend Your State of Being
What center are you coming from and what effect does it have on you and where you end up, both in your day and your life situation? Did you remember to intend your state of being? Have you ever noticed the effect of getting angry and upset versus accepting and cooperative? Which of these facilitates more clear, productive thinking? I know I find anger and fear, for example, cloud my judgement and narrows my thinking. Alternatively, maintaining a sense of inner peace, acceptance, and compassion facilitates far more resourceful thinking and ideas.
What about noticing yourself feeling anxious and antsy, like you need to get something done? Rather than immediately going for your phone and turning on the news or social media, STOP! Breath.
If you’ve mastered your intention and attention, you can choose again and put your thoughts on something more in line with what you truly want and is within your sphere of influence. Put your intention and attention on something you can do something about. Just be aware of your state of being. If you are feeling antsy then make a choice to be peaceful.
Take it from Buddha
It’s not what is or what is happening that is the cause of your suffering or stress but rather what you are thinking about it. There is a story in Buddhism about the two arrows that can injure you, the first arrow is what happens, and the second arrow is what you think about it.
Choosing before bed and first thing in the morning the center from which we will come at life throughout your day is a very powerful practice. Furthermore, meditating and connecting with the breath and body is hugely beneficial. As such, a simple way to set your intention for the day is to meditate and affirm your intention to smile and care with kindness; at yourself, your situation, and the people you encounter in the day to come.
We need to teach this way of mindfulness to our children for their sake and ours. To illustrate, imagine life as a basketball game and we all have our own ball. If you aren’t mindful and aware, you are handing your ball (your attention) to someone or something outside of yourself. It’s like your attention and your intention is your basketball, and life is the court.
If you’re not mindful of your intention and attention (basketball) then you’re just handing it over to someone else and they’re playing you. As such, you’re not even aware that you’re in the game at that moment.
Above all, as a father, I feel it’s very important to nurture mindfulness in my children as well as myself. It is an ongoing process, teaching them and reminding myself about intention and attention. My intention being- empowering them and I to better navigate the modern world in which they are growing up.
The Big Picture
Think global and act local, you don’t get any more local than your own center. As such, awareness and mindfulness of your intention and attention is key. Additionally, coming from the right-center or place in your heart, connects and aligns us with our most capable, peaceful, creative, and joyful self. Furthermore, this also creates a better future reality as well, for the only time we create the future is in the present moment.
