“If only I could concentrate for a bit, I know I can do this”
“If only she paid more attention in class, she could be a good student”
“If only you could focus on your work without getting distracted”
I’m sure there are more variants of these that all of us have heard. In fact, we’ve heard it so much that it has become sort of an unquestioned fact that we all “should focus more”.
This leads us to think that the natural state of our mind is to give undivided attention to something. Therefore when that doesn’t happen, we start wondering if something is wrong with ourselves – that by performing some unspecified unknowable technique we can somehow achieve this optimal state. And so we try and try, using so many methods, all in vain. But what if this assumption is wrong in the first place? What if that’s not the natural, “supposed to be” state of our mind?
Our minds are incredibly complex and capable. The mind does so many tasks in just a few seconds, most of which are utterly necessary for our survival. All of our “wandering” thoughts about supposedly random food, animals, people, places, and things stem from one of our brain’s most important functions and needs – being aware of our surroundings. That’s what keeps us safe. That’s what makes us human. To categorically label that as useless and a “flaw” is not only a lie we’ve been told, but it is also one of the reasons we are in this mess.
And if you’re wondering what I mean by “mess” – just look around. Unbridled greed of the few disguised as an “economic system”, genocide, economic inequality, rising fascism are all just around us, whatever part of the globe you live in.
But no, the spreadsheet/assignment sitting in front of you is more “important” and you “should be focusing on it”.
How can we even expect our mind/body to be able to focus when our parents are constantly fighting generations-old patriarchal battles, when those bosses that ask you to “deliver” are clearly exploiting your time and energy, when everywhere you look someone is struggling with hunger, pain, or indiscriminate killings?
If at all we can focus at this point, it can only be for a moment – a fleeting, transient moment. And even that is a bargain. Focus is costly, in that you are asking for one of the body/mind’s most precious resources.
How can we even expect that bargain to happen on a constant, day-to-day basis without it leading to the ruin of our very being? None of this is to take away from the fact that some of us HAVE to do this sometimes to survive in this world, but be aware of what you’re asking your body to do.
The mind needs to wander. Let it wander. At least for a while. Focus is not the rule – it’s not the natural state, it’s not what you’re “supposed to be” doing. You’re supposed to be wandering. That type of focus is only ever meant to be fleeting, momentary, and calculated. It is an exception.
Posted to Instagram on May 8, 2024
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