When we place our attention on something, it grows in our lives. Likewise, when we remove our attention from something, it fades. We can choose anything to focus our attention on – exercise, worry, money, relationships, work, stress and the list goes on. None of these things are powerful themselves; the power is derived from the power of attention. This concept can be related to our habitual thoughts and patterns. Far before we develop an addictive habit, we have given it our attention, and in turn, our power. We may suddenly claim that we’ve acted impulsively, but it has actually results from a long chain of thoughts. For example, you light a cigarette without any awareness or finish a bag of junk food without even realizing it. Eventually our mind has performed the task without even consciously noticing. Our subconscious mind has stepped in.
See this as an opportunity to turn bad habits into healthy habits. There is a momentum to our habitual thought patterns so use this to work for you, not against you. Shift your focus. Replace bad habits with good ones. See each new situation as a chance to observe this process. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. We can view a task as a burden or instead, as a chance to discover new things about ourselves. In the end, it all depends on where we place our attention.
