The Principle of Attention

 

After reading Chapter 2, The Principle of Attention, the following quotes were meaningful to me.

“If you want something to thrive and grow, pay attention to it.  On the other hand, if you want something to wither and diminish, don’t pay attention to it; intentionally ignore it.”

This quote was meaningful to me because I find myself getting caught up in the little things that often don’t matter.  I need to make sure that I pay attention to the big things in life and direct my focus there.

“Attention, in part, is an effort to be attuned to what’s happening around you by being grounded in who you are.” 

This quote stuck out to me because I feel that lately I haven’t been attuned to my surroundings.  I feel that I have been stressed with a lot of things to do and I haven’t been able to focus my attention to the people around me.  I need to work on refocusing my energy so that I can be grounded in what I am doing.

“What you treasure is where you put your heart.”

This quote was meaningful for me because things that are really important to me are where I spend a lot of time and energy.  For example, teaching my students is really important to me so I feel that I put a lot of time and energy there.  My family and friends is another example of what I treasure and put my heart in them.

Intention is the why behind what you do and attention is what you need to focus your energy on.   This summer I plan to be intentional with my work and give it my full attention.  If I set intentional goals to complete my work and give my attention to meeting those goals, it will make the summer work seem easier.