Noun or Verb, It’s Your Choice

One of the tenets of Church of Attention is that attention is a verb, not a noun. Attention is an action, not a fixed object-person place or thing.

Attention is flexible, fluid; it teams well with other verbs & disappears when thought of as a noun.

Attention can be interesting & curious. Maybe anything that isn’t interesting has no attention to it.

Attention can be inspiring, informative & motivational.  Maybe that which is not inspiring has no attention to it.

Attention can be caring & healing. Maybe what is not caring or healing is missing attention.

Attention can be the carrier of change.  What does not change, what is fixed, has attention stuck, glued and limited.

Attention is also on a gradient, a continuum from mindless, mechanical sleep walking, merely breathing attention, a form of habits that stretches to a conscious, creative, awareness of designed & deliberate action aimed with intent toward purpose, goal or desired outcome.

Then there are the big QUESTIONS.

• How can I get to the conscious, aware end of the spectrum?

• How can I stay there?

• What are the ten tricks to staying present?

• Do you know the five secrets to waking up?

• Have you found the three methods of keeping love alive?

• Do you know the two types of people in the world or do you know better?

• What is the one word of wisdom to pass on to your next of kin?

• What is the one word you want to eliminate from your private speaking?

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One thing I know is that they are not nouns.  It’s fun to ask, "How do you do it?"

How about going fishing today?

When I fish I spend a lot of time being patient. 

Patience I once was told by a very wise grandmotherly lady is the only virtue. She was right, being patient people make up the nicest things about you while you’re doing nothing. They think you’re wise as you contemplate still waters, a rapid river or a tumbling cascade.

Henry David Thoreau wrote “Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”

Have you ever gone fishing for memorable memories? 

Bring your best bait, cast your line and wait for your mind to still, your wits to sharpen and the universe to reveal magical moments, hidden treasures, and answers to the questions you truly fish for.

Once sitting on a sandy river with stick in hand, string tied on with a carrot for bait, a fish the size of my 5 year old finger, gave a tug and I can still feel the excitement and still feel the trust that this moment life is all there is. I once made the time to do what all men used to want to do, fish.

TO bring home the big one.

To feed the masses, and sing a tune ♫♫ I ‘m a gonna fishin, yep I’m going fishing and my baby going fishing too♫♫

Teach Your Inner Children Well

Not your biological off-springs, but the pre-school nursery kids that exist within us.

The inner child, the innocent one who risks, dares, challenges, gets wild, whips & whoops it up, the sweet, tender, precious, instinctively curious toddler within.

That child may stay hidden, coming out only on rare occasions with a flush of embarrassment, on a whim, or from a memory.

What if the inner children could evolve, grow and learn, while saving their innocence, curiosity and courage?

Would that inner child be lost?

Time works by freezing us, and allowing us to grow. I am 66, and 6, and 10, and 14 and 20, an identity that a song, a friend, chocolate pudding reacts and recalls those frozen moments in time.

Those stimuli bring back identities.

“Interesting concept Mr Writer, but how does it work? What are the lessons?”

How do you teach anyone anything? 

Though our current educational system has its flaws at its core is the Socratic method of inquiry. We can educate the child within, increase our adult curiosity and interests with a series of questions.

Such questions as:

• What do you want? What would you like to know?

• What would it be useful to know?

• How will you know when you have it?

• How does that work?

• What’s another way of looking at that?

• And an occasional, Why?

The inquiry gradually distills (the gradient approach), or instills a flash of insight that leads to change and/or the next question. The process encourages curiosity, an open mind and life long learning.

 It is the basic scientific method.

"I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others," said Socrates.

The intent is to teach our inner children well. 

“What’s that,” were my son’s first words. I filled in the blank with what it was. He asked a lot of questions. Still does.

For me it wasn’t till my Nana gave me clues as to who to listen too. She had patience, told stories that made points and encouraged me to remember.

The points were:

• “Yes you can.”

• Do this little thing now and that belief transfers to bigger things.

• Decide you can do it.

• And when you do it and get it, practice.

I think children’s games were developed to teach this skill. “Tag, you’re it.”