According to Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, “Attention is the ability we have to discriminate and to focus only on that which we want to perceive. We can perceive millions of things simultaneously, but using our attention, we can hold whatever we want to perceive in the foreground of our mind.” What kinds of things do you attend to in your life? Are you the type of person who assumes the worst without testing the evidence? Or, are you able to attend to the positive aspects of a potentially negative situation? When faced with challenging events, although we may be able to think reasonably, the way we perceive the situation can greatly affect our mood and self-esteem.
I recently read a book which contained a delightful list entitled, “Little Things That Make Life Worth Living” written by Mark Patinkin, newspaper columnist, Providence Journal-Bulletin. I immediately began to think about the ways in which I attend to and perceive the minute-to-minute, daily and weekly situations that I encounter in my life. I hope this reminds you to cherish the simple joys, laugh out loud and find positive ways to see people and life events. Sometimes through the midst of all of the excitement, yes, we forget to stop and smell the roses.
I challenge you to add to this list with your own personal experiences that make your life worth living. Pay attention! The possibilities are endless!
• Being the first in a crowded supermarket to notice a cashier announcing a
newly opened register.
• Hearing the phone ring just as you’re sitting down to dinner, then realizing
you have the answering machine on.
• Automatic icemakers.
• The service department saying, “No problem. That’s on warranty.”
• Dogs that sense when you are sad and come over to make you feel better.
• Room service.
• The one morning every six months that your three-year-old actually sleeps
to 7:30 a.m.
• Terrycloth bathrobes.
• Learning at LAX Airport that your plane is at Gate 1 rather than Gate 322.
• Having nothing scheduled Sunday morning except reading the newspaper.
• Pizza delivered to your door.
• A hot shower when you are freezing.
• That combined smell of freshly-mown grass and popcorn that hits you when you walk into a baseball stadium.
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