What Will You Pay Attention To In 2023?

January 1, 2023

 

Attention is the intersection of time and energy, which makes it a highly precious resource. Yet so many of us (myself included!), don’t treat it as such. We act frivolously with our attention. We give and withhold it without intentionality. And then we wonder why what we desire isn’t showing up for us.

Where our attention goes, energy flows. What we pay attention to is what we expand in our lives. What we neglect dissipates and devolves. Focus acts like a magnifying glass, making what we put under it appear larger.

When we ignore the state of our homes, the spaces become cluttered and disordered. When we give our attention to our relationship with material belongings and our organizational systems, we create the nurturing environments we need to thrive.

When we ignore our health, we sow seeds of disease and physical and mental discomfort. When we give our attention to our wellbeing–to nourishing ourselves well and committing to a movement practice–we experience vitality.

When we ignore our relationships, we feel disconnected and lonely. When we’re attentive to the people who matter to us, prioritizing them through phone conversations and time spent together, we feel connected and fulfilled.

Nature blooms with the attention of the sun, and we grow, create, and manifest what we desire by focusing on forces and sources that move us forward.

If you’re feeling unsatisfied, discouraged, or depressed as this new year begins, I encourage you to examine where and to whom you’ve been giving your attention. Ask yourself whether you’re been directing your attention towards entities that fuel and inspire you, or to ones that have you perpetuating thoughts of comparison, inferiority, judgment and blame.

Our attention is, like all aspects of being a human, limited. We don’t have infinite attention to spend in a day. We’re required to be discerning in order to create a life that’s rewarding.

1 Comment

  1. DD on January 12, 2023 at 8:51 pm

    Annie-sensei, thank you for your wise words, as always. I’ve been reading Japanese Zen Buddhist monk Shunmyo Masuno’s pithy and powerful guides, The Art of Simple Living and Don’t Worry. Have you read them? The two of you share many of the same kind and beneficial ideas, it seems. This year, I intend to grant myself the grace to “dwell in the breath” of the here and now, to love unabashedly, and to attend (in the French sense of listening!) to my soul’s true calling. Be well. Go forward. Cheers!

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1 Comment

  1. DD on January 12, 2023 at 8:51 pm

    Annie-sensei, thank you for your wise words, as always. I’ve been reading Japanese Zen Buddhist monk Shunmyo Masuno’s pithy and powerful guides, The Art of Simple Living and Don’t Worry. Have you read them? The two of you share many of the same kind and beneficial ideas, it seems. This year, I intend to grant myself the grace to “dwell in the breath” of the here and now, to love unabashedly, and to attend (in the French sense of listening!) to my soul’s true calling. Be well. Go forward. Cheers!

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