Recently, one of my guided meditations asked me to think about why I was choosing to learn mindfulness meditation practice and engage daily in meditation. For me, that felt quite clear. I want to learn to just be, without striving to be more. I also want to be attuned to feelings of calm and clarity. I also want to be able to focus on one thing at a time, which in our world of multiple distractions that seem constantly to surround us, can be difficult.
I have lived life with the belief that to be interesting and successful, I should cultivate multiple interests, seize every opportunity that comes my way, and be able to multitask on a grand scale. And this can be true and living this way has bought me much satisfaction and pleasure. However, as exposure to opportunities and interesting stuff increases dramatically with the tools of technology, I have become increasingly aware of the need to cultivate the ability to focus.
I am keen to read Daniel Goleman's book on the subject (Focus: the hidden driver of excellence), which explains how peak performance results from the right balance of 'fast' and 'slow' thinking. He argues that understanding how each is stimulated and how they work together, helps us develop the kind of focus that leads to greater happiness, better relationships and increased productivity.
In the meantime, the practice of mindfulness is all about finding that focus
I have lived life with the belief that to be interesting and successful, I should cultivate multiple interests, seize every opportunity that comes my way, and be able to multitask on a grand scale. And this can be true and living this way has bought me much satisfaction and pleasure. However, as exposure to opportunities and interesting stuff increases dramatically with the tools of technology, I have become increasingly aware of the need to cultivate the ability to focus.
I am keen to read Daniel Goleman's book on the subject (Focus: the hidden driver of excellence), which explains how peak performance results from the right balance of 'fast' and 'slow' thinking. He argues that understanding how each is stimulated and how they work together, helps us develop the kind of focus that leads to greater happiness, better relationships and increased productivity.
In the meantime, the practice of mindfulness is all about finding that focus