The practice of paying attention, also referred to as meditation or mindfulness, teaches us to trust our own nature. This is one of the most valuable skills we can have, as it provides a protected space for us to weather out any storm that comes our way. It is an essential skill in the explorer’s toolkit. To lead an examined life, we need to be able to listen, to remain in the present and study what ever presents itself. Paying attention is a natural gateway to your center, to your self.
Pay attention to the world around you, really take the time to listen, to open up your heart to the sensory experience of reality. Feel how everything you think and experience comes in and out of consciousness, all on its own.
Being in the present prevents you from loosing yourself in past failures and perfectly imagined futures. This is a critical building block for the Cycle of Action.
Beyond that, so much of our life is at the mercy of the global advertising industry and hypercapitalism. It is more important than ever to open our eyes and practice being here for our lives.
Forget everything you have ever associated with meditation and remember only this: meditation is the practice of paying attention.
