An Orbiting Attention...

In today’s world it is sometimes hard to distinguish true motives and authentic care and concern.  But there is one tell all, attention.

Someone who checks on you, asks why you just did something unexpected, calls to see how you are doing, wonders if your change of mood is just hunger or something larger.

There is nothing greater that we can give than our attention.

Not distracted.

Not distant.

Not a fly by.

Real, intentional attention.

I heard someone say the other day:

“What makes heat?” 

Answer: "The sun."

"What makes cold?"

Answer:  "Distance from heat.” 

And that landed for me.  What makes connection?  Interest.  What makes disconnection?  Distance from interest. And there are a million things that can get in the way of actual interest.

Selfishness

Self centeredness

Jealousy

Feelings of being less than

Self importance

Greed

Animosity

A scarcity mindset

Busyness

The above list is what is killing our ability to connect with others because they all interfere or, put distance, between our attention and our intended.

Our lives get better when we are interested in others.  When we seek to serve others before ourselves.  When we seek to be present and give of our attention, the beneficiaries of that attention, grow exponentially.

It is really the only thing we have to offer.  The gift of proximity to ourselves paved by the presence of our attention.

And yet, we live in a world today that is pulling us in a million different directions.  There are literally dozens of things competing for our attention in almost every moment.  So I find the desire to shut those things out increasing which interrupts my ability to give of my attention to others.  Sometimes I feel so adrift in the sea of interruptions, I cannot even give myself enough attention to feel present in my own life. How am I supposed to give you attention when I am over here drowning in a sea of distraction?

I have to get quiet.  I have to get still.  I have to be present.  First for me.  Then I have a prayer of showing up for you. I cannot give away what I haven’t got...and if my attention is fractionalized down to splinters, what do I really have to offer?

Not a hell of a lot as it turns out.

This is a today’s world struggle.

I feel it.

I rail against it daily.

I lose the fight more often than I win it.

But there is nothing that brings me closer to the sun than attention.

Nothing.

Again, still...