Following the Threads of Attention

Part 1 - A new Seeing Clearly project

I do believe, as Annie Dillard says, that our lives are created one day at a time by how we choose to spend our days and to what we give our attention. 

If you’ve been following my writing for a while, you know that attention is a frequent topic of mine; it’s one of the nine contemplative habits. 

The word, “attention,“ comes from the Latin, “ad tendere,” meaning to stretch toward or to tend. At its most basic, attention is where your mind and eyes go. It’s one of our most precious resources and an indicator of something you care about or something that’s calling to you right now. 

I’ve looked at this topic from a few different angles. The first has to do with “how” one pays attention or the quality of your attention. The second has to do with “what” you’re paying attention to, with the understanding that attention is a choice. There is a third aspect of attention that I’ve become interested in recently, that is, the “why” of attention. I’ll get to that in a minute but first, a review. 

The Quality of Attention (How)

The contemplative monk, Thomas Merton, said, “There are degrees of attention: the glance, the cursory look, the look, the long look (self-forgetting, therefore, contemplative).”

The glance is what we do most often, when what is seen barely registers, either because it’s considered unimportant or we’re lost in thought. On the other hand, a glance can also be quite intimate if it’s reciprocated. Scrolling on social media is usually an example of just taking a glance.

The cursory look is when what we see registers and is quickly named, for example, you walk by a tree and acknowledge that you saw a tree. But you didn’t really see that particular tree in its essence.

The look lingers a little longer. We may take in the uniqueness of a particular tree, its type, size, color, health, etc. It’s an objective look, like Mary Oliver’s report. There may be some appreciation, but no real connection. 

The long look sees with the heart, meaning we’re affected by what we see. We’re completely immersed in the moment and in a relationship. This is deep and focused attention, what Thomas Merton called “self-forgetting,” therefore contemplative. Poet and writer David Whyte says that self-forgetfulness is the essence of firsthand experience. 

Taking the long look can be sublime (watching the sun set) or searing (seeing an act of violence). These are extreme examples, but we can practice this type of deep, focused attention every day with the things or people in our lives. To truly offer your sustained attention to something or someone without judgment is the highest form of love. 

Attention as a Choice (Where)

In his book, Stolen Focus, which is very much about attention as a choice, Johann Hari argues that our collective attention span is shrinking because there is so much vying for our attention that we don’t have the capacity to pay attention in depth. This is the noise of the world. 

Most of the rhetoric around attention as a choice has to do with how you prioritize your time; how you distinguish between distractions and what you truly value. How do you decide what’s worthy of your attention and what’s not? How do you know what to turn away from and what  to move towards? 

But, here’s the paradox of attention as a choice; our attention can be easily hijacked, consciously or unconsciously. Where our attention goes is not solely up to us. It will always be determined somewhat by our environment, current circumstances, and past history. There’s a lot going on in the world that’s calling for our attention. 

In her book, Sense and Sensibility, Laura Sewall makes the case that an onslaught of information and media can distort our view of the world and people and cause us to numb out and not notice anything. Or, we can go into survival mode and push it all away. I get this. I’ve noticed that a generalized ball of anxiety gathers in the pit of my stomach when I consume too much news and social media. And, I begin to have trouble sleeping. 

I know that my best “information” comes from reading a well-researched book or an excellent piece of long-form journalism or by taking a walk in the woods. My best life comes from deep attention to the people I love or the world around me. 

While we can sometimes redirect our attention for healthier options, there are some circumstances where your attention has to go in a particular direction because it’s the reality of your life right now. For example, you’re working in health care during a crisis or your community is cleaning up after a flood or a relative is sick or even dying.

Which takes me to a mode of attention that’s calling to me right now, following the threads of my attention. What can my attention teach me about what’s most important right now and needs to be addressed?

Following the Threads of  Attention (Why)

The poet Mary Oliver said, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” For Oliver, her poetry emerged from her attention. I like to think that my photos emerge from my attention. As a matter of fact, where and how I aim my camera has always told me a lot about myself, what I’m seeing and experiencing in this place and time and what matters to me. What are you devoted to? Where is your attention going?

Life is always evolving and we are always in a state of becoming. Lately, I’ve found myself in a transitional space where I wasn’t sure how or what or where to direct my energies next. A couple of recent events and people have inspired a new way for me to discern a direction by paying attention to my attention.

The writer Austin Kleon posted about a tweet from the writer Amy Krouse Rosenthal, who wrote “for anyone trying to discern what to do with their life, pay attention to what you pay attention to.” Writer John Green, who was a good friend of Rosenthal's, also referred to this tweet in a conversation with Adam Grant. 

I began to explore these questions. How can I discern between the noise of the world and the signals that are most important for me, for my own well being, and for how I can be of service in the world? How could following the threads of my attention help me to find the patterns that will drill down to what’s really percolating in me right now?

Of course, this sounds pretty time consuming so I needed a way to easily record where my attention goes during the course of a day. From this list, I would identify the themes or ideas that had the most impact on me, as well any associations or patterns between them. These might offer clues as to where and how I could direct my energies most effectively. By the way, if you’re a daily journaller, you’re already ahead of the game. You may find similar clues in your journal entries.

So I created a weekly worksheet, which I’ve since adapted, and I’ve been experimenting with it since the end of May. In a couple of weeks, I’ll share this worksheet, as well as what I’ve learned so far. 

A Proposal

While this is something I’m doing for myself, sometimes it’s good to share in a group. Someone else may see in you something you’ve missed. So, I’m interested in convening a small pilot group for about six weeks, beginning in October, to test out this process with others. This will involve using the weekly worksheet to record your attention and then sharing what you discover in a weekly thread. 

If this sounds like something you’d like to try (it’s free, by the way), stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll explain how you can sign up for the project (at no charge). If you have any questions, please ask in the comments. See you again soon.