Focus on...
What has happened to my brain?
If you hit the Heart at the top or bottom of this email, you will MAKE MY DAY and make it easier for other people to find this publication.
I cannot count how many times I have sat down to write my first Substack entry. I find it difficult to focus at home, so I go to a cafe. I order my almond milk flat white and settle in. The plan is that I will return emails, oversee any financial issues (bills due or account balances), and, after 30 minutes of “loose end tying,” begin to write creatively. Ha Ha.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.
I have a book on narrative improvisation coming out in May 2024. I teach focus as part of my communication training. I am a person who appears to be focused, yet the internal struggle is real. Without an external deadline or people clamoring for my wisdom, I tend to float. I float from one interesting thing to another. My cell phone calls to me, my husband calls me, and my desire to feel organized calls me to open another notebook with a purpose. (2024 Style!, Weight/Strength/Food Goals!/Financial Mindset!/To Do’s and What to Sell and What Friends to Keep Contact With/ETC.)
I am the person who gets things done, so why is my internal experience so different from how others see me?
As 2023 comes to a close, I know the following to be true.
Time marches on regardless of what I do or don’t do.
I have a clarity that gets muddled and fades when I get busy. I call this part of me “swirly girl.”
Swirly Girl is fun, but another part of me needs attending. She is calm, kind, and thoughtful. She is not afraid. She is clear. I don’t even know what to call her at this point. I want to tell her I heard her call and will give her more time.
“To be or not to be.” A direct question about being present that I had never pondered much before. I Choose To Be.
When focusing on an attempt to feel present, it always helps to start with the body first. The body and breath are always in the present moment. It’s the mind that is in the past and future. As I was writing, I noticed my breath was shallow, so I directed it down to my belly. This caused me to sit up straight and roll my neck to ease tension.
Now, to the current environment of this body. Anne Bogart’s viewpoints inspire the following list.
● Look at or touch the floor; What materials are present? How does it feel underfoot?
● Now, notice the walls. Are they smooth, cool, or warm?
● Look above you. What is the height of the ceiling overhead? Are there any details you haven’t noticed before?
● Now note the texture in the room. Is there wood, metal, or fabric?
● Now, notice the light and shadow in your space. Take in where the light is coming from and note the shadows created. Is the light natural or human-made? How does it make you feel?
● Now take in color or lack of color in this space. Is there a predominant color? How does it make you feel?
● Lastly, take in the sound of your environment.
● Close your eyes, trying to feel the space you explored simultaneously. Add the room’s temperature: cold, warm, hot, or just right? What time of day is it? Is your mind focused or scattered? Are you physically comfortable or not? Do you need to stretch or readjust? Is there a scent in the room that you are aware of? Are other people in the space? What are you noticing about them?
● Come back and open your eyes, keeping the visceral connection to the room as you read.
Keep this connection to yourself, others, and your environment until we meet again. Your life is your great art! I wish for you the presence of mind to enjoy it.
Till next time,
Jo