“Everyone knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear, and vivid form, of one out of what seems several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought.” —William James
A charismatic speaker commands our attention.
Little kids—or even big ones!—demand our attention.
Cell phones and apps steal our attention.
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that the ability to direct attention is beyond our control.
Indeed, we often feel it is. Neuroscience says it may be. Social media companies count on it being that way.
Like Doug, the dog in the movie Up, we are in constant danger of having our attention yanked from whatever we ought to be attending to in the moment to some shinier, more appealing object or activity.
Does it have to be this way?
Serendipitously, I listened to this podcast as I began thinking about how I wanted to approach envisioning 2024.
I didn’t want to make resolutions. I didn’t even want to set intentions. Instead, I wanted my field of attention to remain open so I could remain receptive to whatever my heart might feel called to in this coming year.
Easier said than done!
I decided to create the 31 Days of Attention practice.
For the month of January, I am bringing members of the Birth Your Truest Story community along with me as I clear the decks to allow my attention to settle, without distraction, on what will be most important for me this year.
Every day, community members get a visual post with a writing prompt, meditation, exercise, or question to contemplate.
The practice is happening now in the Birth Your Truest Story Community.
We have just completed week one. If you missed it, not to worry! You can go to the Conversation Lounge in the community (join free if you’re not a member) and search for the #31DaysOfAttention.
The 31 Days practice culminates in our January workshop, Your Big Why: Writing Into Who You Want to Be in 2024.
This is our version of making resolutions. Call it visioning, imagining, or dreaming. Like last year’s Stir Your Creativity workshop (now available on demand), Your Big Why will make room for reflection and will honor both action and contemplation.
The intention behind this low-cost ($19.99) 1.5 hour workshop is to clear a space for whatever wants to come through you in 2024—wild ideas, great feats of imagination, outpourings of love—so you can fully engage in the dance between attention and intention, between being and doing.
In this transitional time of year, you have the opportunity to consciously move toward those things that will lead you to become the new writer, the new friend, the new partner… maybe even the entirely new person you want to be in 2024.
We Turn Our Attention To You
I’m always tempted to begin new projects when the new year starts. This year, I thought about getting involved in my local community through something like New York City’s Breaking Bread, Building Bonds, which seems particularly relevant in our times.
Instead, I decided not to join yet another community, but to go deeper into those I am already part of—particularly the BYTS community.
In 2024, I want to be in service to the individuals who gather in our space. Which made me realize it’s time once again to ask:
What do you need from us?
We know some of you well and others not at all. We would like to hear more about you—what you value in a community, what would serve your needs as a writer and creative person. You can give us feedback here.
I look forward to hearing from you!