*

97. Dear Younger Self: Generous Attention.

Dear Younger Self: Generous Attention. Attention is light. We shine it. One may be present in body, but not so with eyes, mind, or energy. Attention will flicker in different ways. Wise scholars, Sohlberg and Mateer, named five components of attention: focused, sustained, selective, alternating, divided. Be alert to the kinds of attention you need. What you give others and yourself. What are you receiving? Is it generous enough? French philosopher Simone Weil puts it well, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Be as benevolent as possible. Expect it too. It matters. Love, Your Oldest, Wisest Self.