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I have a limited amount of precious attention units at my disposal on a given day. Those units are like a neurological stipend of daily jewels from the Universe. They are mine to spend as I wish. But once they are gone, I am unable to process any more information until after a good night’s sleep.
What the hell happened? And why does it feel like our collective fear is building, like those in power are working towards some ominous crescendo? What is the best strategy for navigating this deranged monkey house?
Many would agree that the direction we are moving in as a country is ridiculously dangerous, given today’s very real planetary challenges. It often seems we are being led by inane, political charlatans only seeking for wins within the narcissistic minutia of their own ideology; doing their best to divide and distract us and inflame our worst aspects.
And their raucous screams are working.
They are sucking up all our attention like high-end Hoovers while driving in nails of fear, distrust, and divisiveness into the national discourse. And, as some New Ager’s say, where our attention goes, our energy flows.
I have recently had to hit a mental pause button, to slow my anxious roll and assess how I am doing within this very strange and threatening description of American life being hawked by the power brokers of today.
I don’t want my energy to flow in poops-ville, USA, but that’s where it seems much of the time. It pains me to realize that I may have neglected opportunities for beauty, love, and the things that make life worth living since this new political chapter began unfolding. It’s like being sidetracked by the crusty pages of a cheap pulp fiction novel while forgetting the possibilities of great literature.
Shock, outrage, and the urgent feeling to fight for what’s right often drowns out the internal peace and spaciousness required to engage beauty, love, and all things that make being human an awesome experience. And it’s my fault for letting it happen. I ultimately choose where my attention goes.
So, if I want to re-engage excellence, elegance, grace, and all the higher human aspirations, do I have to ignore the chaotic and compassionless circus?
We Americans are able to choose how we participate in our democracy, to vote, to march when called, and work for the changes that we believe will empower a more hopeful future. And it doesn’t have to take up all of our energy. We can remember beauty and abide in peace. But it requires consciously turning the wheel of our attention when we wish to pull away from the cascading drama of our United States, so mercilessly exploited by the newsfeeds.
When I began to ease my attention away from the immediacy of the political spectacle, I discovered a ball of contracted anxiety had made a home within my internal system. This is the cost of being overly-informed. Just because I have access to a 24-hour news cycle, doesn’t mean I have to access it throughout the day.
As I consciously loosened my focus from the headlines and settled down the internal lightning bolts of tension, I remembered that delightful space for higher feelings, splendor, and the mysteriously sublime. This is the simple state of mindfulness.
Awakening to mindfulness is the process of returning to my natural state of being, which is a state of peace and ease that is the default result of a mind surrendering into a more meditative state. This is where I remember the poetry of life and the reason that I need to be a part of the expanding (r)evolution that we are being invited to engage.
There is within us an established inner-strength, an ability to skillfully navigate the turmoil that is generated from the unconscious acts of unenlightened people. We naturally tap into this inner-strength when our internal dialogue quiets and our mind opens to what is happening in the present moment. And inviting in beauty, love, and the other higher aspirations automatically settles us down and provides the space where that established inner-strength can be accessed. From this place of established strength, which is our natural state of being, far fewer attention units are required and greater efficiency is achieved by our acts.
It’s past time to rediscover wonder and awe, to embrace the juiciness of life by singing more, dancing more, playing more, climbing more mountains, and making rapturous love more often—to just enjoy the process of being human, however that may look. This is what can fuel our activism.
Yes, we need to work for change. Yes, our country is moving in a dangerous direction. And, yes, we need to remember our established strength that is always available, our inherent skill that is found within the mindful delight of human experience. It’s time to empower the best in ourselves, to settle our minds, and bring our joyous mindfulness to the dance of change, right here, right now. Oh, and remember to vote.
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Photo credit: Eddie Kopp on Unsplash