Rule #5 Own your stuff, don’t let it own you
What has your attention? Who has your attention?
Time is the ultimate currency. For those who rule the internet, the time they have your attention is the currency they trade. The more of your time they own, the more of you they own. Even as you are reading this, ask yourself, “Is this worth the time, this portion of my life, that I am giving to it?”
Whatever it is that you give your attention should offer value, not mere addiction to more of the same. The brain’s circuitry is based upon patterns. These patterns were to make some activities easier, because they go on auto-pilot, which uses less energy, which was at a premium for most of human history. However, the feature becomes a bug when it feeds back into a loop that demands more of the same. Whether your drug of choice is tobacco, alcohol, opioid/marijuana/cocaine/other substances, social media, religion, gaming, etc. the brain does not differentiate. If you find yourself being furtive or defensive when confronted about any activity that is taking up a significant amount of your attention in its acquisition, checking in, etc., take a moment and be with it. Do you own it or does it own you?
Why move toward ownership of things — cars, homes, bank accounts — at the price of being owned by lenders and institutions? Awareness is taking brief inventory of your whole being at regular intervals. At least once every waking hour. Is there an entire life being lived inside your head that is separate from the life being lived by your body? Is your attention being hooked in by a job, a game, a program, a person that is programming you to become dependent upon it for all of your gratification, or are you able to stop and listen to your body’s need for movement, a better posture that supports long-term well-being, a deep breath to oxygenate and clear the head and return precious attention back on yourself? Whose life are you living? Who has the premium on your currency?
Scripture states, “Love others as you love yourself.” AS you love yourself. Not “better than” or “instead of”. Tender, kind attention toward yourself is the basis of good stewardship over life, with love. Choose good nutrition, pure hydration, life-sustaining movement, thoughts, and activities. Really love yourself, so you can really love others.
It pays to pay attention to your attention.
Mama's Rules 