21: Calling Attention to Our Attention

Time. Attention. How it’s spent, and what that expenditure aligns with is the topic Todd and Peter cover in this episode. They discuss how understanding where time goes can highlight points where making intentional adjustments can help us create a path to fulfillment and purpose. Related points: In Vietnam, the busses have vomit bags for everyone, which get used. But when they clean up, they throw the bags out the windows into the motor scooter commuters. We end up paying attention to things, but many times on an unintentional basis. How do we add value to our life, through our attention? How do we add value to other people’s lives, through how we employ our attention? Sleep is key and underpins all we do and can accomplish as humans. Shout out to Rory for helping to lift points of awesome in others. Mental habit / action / tool examples: If something is of importance to us, we will give it our attention. Try to observe your time, and document it to understand where it goes and how it's spent. What our values are is often what makes our attention most useful. Understanding / Defining our values is a long endeavor, but one which is essential to understanding how what we do adds value. Make slight changes to shift attention and action toward things which we value as essential – and – away from things we realize are less fruitful. If you are able, solicit feedback from those closest to you to uncover things often obfuscated from our self-perception. Save amounts of time to entertain new thoughts and ideas – or even just allow intentional quiet. Quotes/quips: "As long as we’re alive, we have time.” “It’s not that I didn’t have time, it’s that I chose not to make time.” “We all have the same 24 hours in a day, how we spend them determines what we become.” “Discipline is the difference between what we want now and what we want most.” – Abe Lincoln “Don’t let life do you, go do life.” Rando Mentions: Stand by Me – Barf-O-Rama Route 2 through Boston Muppets - Swedish Chef