The purpose of this article is to demonstrate why you should pay attention to where your attention goes. The expression “pay attention” is a very accurate one since attention is, in fact, a currency. Not just any currency, but your most precious currency! Attention, in this context, equals life energy.
We currently live in an attention economy. Sophisticated algorithms are invented and reinvented on an ongoing basis to extract a maximum of attention from us and capitalize on it. You can read an introduction to this topic in the article “Your Power is in Your Hands – Use Them!“.
If you spend hours every day on attention-absorbing activities, you are literally giving your life energy away. By “attention-absorbing activities” I mean social media, Netflix or television, and things of the kind. Many people have the habit of looking for distractions because their life situation is unsatisfying or boring to them. However, this habit will only anchor that life situation in place. Why? Because in order to change a situation, you need to focus your attention on yourself – not on others who have an interest in having you stay right where you are.
If you spread your attention thin, your power of manifestation will weaken
In the case of social media, these platforms have been designed specifically to keep users’ attention as long as possible. Of course, social media add some value to users’ experience – otherwise, nobody would use them. But the point here is that they likely extract more from you than what they give you.
If you want to transform some area of your life, only you can do that. It requires discipline to take your focus away from addictive platforms that are designed to captivate and retain your attention. I suggest that you start keeping a log to measure how much time you spend daily on these platforms so that you gain awareness of your behavior. After a few days, you’ll know what amount of time you have to play with to implement the necessary changes.
I’m not saying that you have to cut out social media etc. altogether. Just be mindful. Put an alarm for 20 minutes or so, then log out when the alarm goes off. The same principle applies to Netflix, television, or any other passive pastime where your attention is being extracted. Here’s the thing. As long as you spread your attention thin on multiple platforms and devices, your power to manifest another reality will be weak.
Is the content uplifting or draining to you?
The American psychiatrist Dr. David R. Hawkins conducted scientific research on human consciousness – including advanced states of consciousness – for decades. He teaches that what you hold in your consciousness will manifest in your physical reality. For more information about Dr. Hawkins and how his Scale of Consciousness connects with sensitivity, please read the article “Join the Highly Sensitive Evolution!“.
Not only will giving your attention away to addictive platforms owned by multinationals weaken your manifesting power while making them thrive on your life energy. Your exposure to the content that these platforms offer also increases the presence of that kind of content in your life experience. Society doesn’t teach you that your mind is a magnifying glass, yet it is.
Consciousness is present in every single cell of your body, not only in your mind. Therefore, it would be false to claim that your mind equals your consciousness. It would be more accurate to say that that which you expose your mind to will have a significant impact on your body. In addition, your body acts as a magnet to attract more of the same by means of the Law of Attraction. Therefore it’s paramount to ask yourself: Is the content uplifting or draining to you? Because whatever content you’re exposing your mind to is more than just a few moments of distraction and entertainment. It represents the building blocks of your reality.
Less is more
This saying never gets old: less is more. Indeed, less IS more. In this article on climate change, I explain how mindset is at the origin of both the problem and the solution of climate change. A collective and generalized mindset of lack is at the origin of all excesses that humans create. No matter how much is ”out there” of any given item, if we look at it through the lenses of lack – it will never be enough.
We all need to learn to appreciate what we already have and make better use of that. Oftentimes it’s just a matter of shifting focus. If we focus on what we don’t have, our experience of not having will grow. If, on the other hand, we focus on what we do have and cultivate gratitude for that, our experience of feeling satisfied will grow. In consequence, our urge to look for distraction will diminish radically.
Remember, you are in charge of your destiny. I suggest that you start by slowing down and paying close attention to yourself and what you already have. What you’ll find might surprise you.
About the author
Susanna is a Highly Sensitive Writer, Energy Worker, and Psychologist on a mission to help raise Human Consciousness. She offers 1:1 sessions as a certified Emotion Code and Body Code Practitioner, as well as group workshops about Conscious Manifestation.