Time and Attention

Time and attention are our greatest assets.

Bill Gates is apparently always punctual because the one thing he can’t buy is more time.  Tech companies feverishly vie for our attention through more and more sophisticated means.

How discerning are you with your time and attention?

I won’t judge anyone who loses time on Facebook or Pinterest etc.  I am a sucker for kittens on the internet. 

But what if we got a little more deliberate about putting some time and attention on what brings us purpose and joy?

I would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t value a purposeful and joyful life – the kicker is we aren’t given much guidance on how achieve it.  Or even how to identify what it would look like - it’s as individual as we are. 

“I don’t know what I want, but it’s not this…”

Sleuthing for things that bring you a greater sense of purpose and joy is well worth some time and attention.  Even small changes can help nudge you towards a more satisfying life.

I say sleuthing because sometimes it is a bit of a hunt. Not everyone gets smacked in the face with a passion (kudos to those who did, I wasn't one of them).  And if you’re exhausted or burnt-out, you may well not be feeling good about anything at the moment, much less passionate!

I’ve been there.  I know what it’s like to not be able to answer the question: “What do you like?”
So I started small and came back to my body.  I put a little bit of time and attention on my senses and noticed what felt good; the smell of that hand cream; the sound of that bird’s song; the warmth of Sun on my back…

With a little bit of deliberate time and attention, I started to reawaken what felt good to me and nudged the needle towards more purpose and joy. 

I now have no trouble listing things I love to do and feel excited about getting out of bed in the morning (*most days)! 

With so much vying for our time and attention, taking a few moments to direct this most precious asset towards our own purpose and joy is definitely worth the effort.