I recently had a conversation with a new friend who began our chat by asking, “What are you paying attention to?”

The question caught me off guard. Since it was our first time speaking, I responded as if he asked, “What do you do?” but that wasn’t right.

I’ve been thinking about this question ever since. It’s simple and telling. It not only explains where we are but where we’re going.

Attention is energy. Like a garden, what we attend to grows.

Where we give our attention shows us what we value.

If you say you value family yet spend most of your time working, your work may grow, but an uneasiness will come from not prioritizing your attention.

Attention is the most valuable asset we have. It’s even more valuable than our time because attention shows us how we spend our time.

If you want to know what you can expect in your future, ask yourself, what am I paying attention to now? 

If we say want something yet give it no time or energy, how can we imagine receiving it?

Money is an attention harnesser. If we spend $3,000 on new garden equipment, we’re likely to put more effort into gardening than if we spend $300. If you want help focusing on something, put your money there.

What I’m paying attention to…

I give a lot of my attention to Insight Timer: the content I create, responding to comments, my live events, and now my circle.

I give attention to my coaching clients, both during our sessions and in support throughout our container.

I give attention to my fiancè: getting outside with her, going on dates, keeping a good channel of communication.

I attend to my personal growth: my own coaching, courses, books, etc.

I give my attention to you, who opted in to receive these messages. I get so much joy sharing with you each week. I hope you know that I hold your attention with great care and responsibility.

I know that while I may not always see the results, all of these are growing, simply because they get my attention.

You may be working on something and not seeing the outcome. Don’t worry! Trust that your attention matters and that the impact is and will be seen.

On the flip side, if you’re unhappy, how can you change what you give your energy to? Maybe something is misaligned, and you need to focus on doing more things that matter.

Find out what you need to pay attention to and attend to it. 

The energy will come back around. Seeds will grow and blossom.

As the Chinese proverb goes: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

Go out there and wield your beautiful energy. Your attention will ripple far beyond what you can see.

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I encourage you to ask someone this question and see what they say. It’s a lot more interesting than asking, “What do you do?”