Quotes About Focus

One can survive solitude, but only if one finds ways of ordering attention that will prevent entropy from destructuring the mind.

Poets make much of the majestic eagle soaring freely among the snowy peaks. But the eyes of the eagle are generally focused on the ground, searching for rodents lurking in the shadows. The lives of much of humanity could be summed up in similar terms. Let

Entropy is the normal state of consciousness—a condition that is neither useful nor enjoyable. To

Each person allocates his or her limited attention either by focusing it intentionally like a beam of energy—as do E. and R. in the previous examples—or by diffusing it in desultory, random movements. The shape and content of life depend on how attention has been used. Entirely different realities will emerge depending on how it is invested.

If one prays in order to be holy, or exercises to develop strong pectoral muscles, or learns to be knowledgeable, then a great deal of the benefit is lost. The important thing is to enjoy the activity for its own sake, and to know that what matters is not the result, but the control one is acquiring over one's attention.

When we choose a goal and invest ourselves in it to the limits of our concentration, whatever we do will be enjoyable.

The challenges of the activity are what force us to concentrate.

The meaning of life is meaning: whatever it is, wherever it comes from, a unified purpose is what gives meaning to life.

the control of consciousness determines the quality of life

The pursuit of a goal brings order in awareness because a person must concentrate attention on the task at hand and momentarily forget everything else. These periods of struggling to overcome challenges are what people find to be the most enjoyable times of their lives

When all a person's relevant skills are needed to cope with the challenges of a situation, that person's attention is completely absorbed by the activity.

that the control of consciousness determines the quality of life

This simple truth—that the control of consciousness determines the quality of life—has been known for a long time; in fact, for as long as human records exist.

The "battle" is not really against the self, but against the entropy that brings disorder to consciousness. It is really a battle for the self; it is a struggle for establishing control over attention.

Setting goals. Becoming immersed in the activity. Paying attention to what is happening. Learning to enjoy the immediate experience.

In other words, with nothing to do, the mind is unable to prevent negative thoughts from elbowing their way to center stage.

Flow – the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.

attention is our most important tool in the task of improving the quality of experience.

It is the full involvement of flow, rather than happiness, that makes for excellence in life. When we are in flow, we are not happy, because to experience happiness we must focus on our inner states, and that would take away attention from the task at hand.

Information enters consciousness either because we intend to focus attention on it or as a result of attentional habits based on biological or social instructions.

Hay tantas cosas de las que debemos preocuparnos y tan poco tiempo para atenderlas todas…

The reason it is possible to achieve such complete involvement in a flow experience is that goals are usually clear, and feedback immediate.

Thoughts have to follow each other, or they get jumbled. While we are thinking about a problem we cannot truly experience either happiness or sadness. We cannot run, sing, and balance the checkbook simultaneously, because each one of these activities exhausts most of our capacity for attention.

the information we allow into consciousness becomes extremely important; it in, in fact, what determines the content and quality of life.