"Where your attention goes energy flows"

I love this quote by James Redfield

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Seneca, the great stoic philosopher, said that it is not that life is short, only that we waste much of it. This statement is accurate and true for most people, myself included.

Instead of focusing on our inner journey and authentically connecting with the people around us, we worship celebrities who do not care about us, admire socially conditioned beauty on Instagram and are upset about trivialities which, in the scheme of things, do not matter.

I meet many cynical, angry, overtly negative and petty people. These experiences are essential emotions to move through; however, wallowing in them for an extended time is a waste.

In addition, I hear so many people say, “I don’t have time”. It is rarely about time; it is about priorities.

Once we get our priorities right and use them to guide our choices, everything becomes much more explicit about where to place our energy and attention.

I write a to-do list every morning and use a version of the Pomodoro technique.

Holding onto our attention in this digital age takes work. Our devices are designed to grab our attention for as long as possible, so if you can work out your relationship with your digital devices, many problems will be solved.

I struggle with this myself, but we must refrain from freely giving our attention to companies who do not have our best interests at heart. They want us to stay on the devices for as long as possible to fill the pockets of shareholders and advertisers.

Don’t get me wrong; social media is excellent for learning and connecting with people. I use it for Instagram Lives and share helpful content, but we must use it consciously. I am far from mastering that.

Not only because it takes us away from being present with the people that matter the most to us, but it also takes away from connecting with our inner spirit, intuition and the divine.

Aside from using it to listen to a guided meditation, technology cannot and will never be able to guide our minds to that heaven within where we get to connect with the Power of Spirit for healing, self-insight and restoration.

So, if you are on a spiritual journey, you must consider where you place your attention because if it always goes outward, you will not find your way inwards.

This is not meant to be a purist or moralistic statement; everything is in moderation.

I think it is all good to watch a captivating series on Netflix or funny cat videos on Instagram. At the same time, that has to be in balance with a strong practice of inwardness in meditation and solitude.

For example, I have a rule that I am not allowed to look at my phone until after I have meditated in the morning and then in the evening, I’m not allowed to look at my phone after I have meditated. I also go on regular walks without bringing technology with me. To give my mind a break from constant digital stimulation.

In those moments of quietness, the voice of Spirit finds its way into my thoughts and gives me messages.

So, consider where you are placing your attention and how much time you spend on your phone for the week ahead.

If you are into reading, I highly recommend Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World and Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention- and How to Think Deeply Again.

These books helped me a lot to work on my relationship with my digital devices.