“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” ~Henry David Thoreau
The term “paying attention” is a wonderfully exquisite term.
It is loaded, powerful, full of nuance, and contains the sharp truth that the process of directing our consciousness towards something is far from free to us.
That it has a cost, has a price, perhaps greater than we realize, and that it is a form of currency, a method of exchange, and it requires us to make ourselves extremely vulnerable at times.
See, money may be the physical means of exchange for us, and it comes and goes... but what about our emotional exchange with one another? Our spiritual exchange?
What about that exchange that we cannot necessarily touch, that is unseen, that is slightly ethereal yet leaves a very real resonance with us that is either positive or negative?
All of that goes a lot deeper.
When we pay attention to someone or something, we are paying that object of our attention with our very selves, paying with our inner world, paying with our quiet desires and our want to be moved in some way.
After all, that is why we are paying attention in the first place.
We each, on our own, must decide if who or what we pay our attention to is worthy of receiving it, and remember that there is always a cost, even if it is a silent one.
Deep down inside, we are hoping that we won't be misused, mistreated, or taken advantage of by giving ourselves over in this way.
We are hoping that this “investment” of our self won't be taken for granted, turn out to be a detriment, or a waste of our precious resources such as our time and our emotions.
But it seems that these days, so very many times, the cost of our paying attention is far too much for us, far outweighs what we receive in return for our precious resources.
It leaves us scratching our heads, bewildered at what just happened, and wondering why we feel the way that we do after the exchange.
Unfortunately, the world is not as careful with our attention as it should be. It is not necessarily the best steward.
And because of this, it is so vital for us to protect our attention, to direct it to what is nourishing and healthy, what is sustaining and life-giving, and to that which will truly help us to grow and to flourish.
And that is the thing...
There is so much available that is simply not worthy of our attention, yet we continue to give it.
We pay with our with our eyes, with our ears, with our minds and hearts to those things that do not deserve these parts of us, that do not cherish them, that do not cultivate them in any way.
Attention “thieves” are those people and things that grab with gusto what it is that we willingly offer, never intending to make a fair exchange with us in the first place.
So what are these things that we pay attention to, that often leave us depleted of precious resource?
And what do they ultimately cost us, what is the price?
That is something for each of us to individually to decide.
The question is, what can we afford...?
From my heart to yours, I honor and cherish the attention that you choose to pay to me each and every time you visit the work that I do here on this site.
I honor and cherish that you invest your time and your consciousness into what you find here, when your eyes, your heart, and your emotions could be directed elsewhere.
My personal hope is that you feel you're getting a return on your investment of your attention here, that you are in some way nourished, inspired, and perhaps even in a better place than when you arrived.
You must be the keeper of your attention, and be a good steward of it.
We each, on our own, must decide if who or what we pay our attention to is worthy of receiving it, and remember that there is always a cost, even if it is a silent one.
Our attention is one of the most valuable things we have to give.
Taste what's good and pass it on.
Ingrid
“From The Heart” is a space for me to share some of my more personal thoughts on life. Here you'll find my reflections on my own inner/spiritual journey; on being a wife and mother; on being a creative; and general observations, pretty much whatever is on my mind.
I whole-heartedly believe that sharing "from the heart" with one another is what connects us, heals us, and inspires us! Glad you're here...
Maria Bill
Your words are indeed nourishing! Thank you for sharing your recipes which feed my appetite and your thoughts which feed my soul
The Cozy Apron
Maria, thank you so much for that...so very kind of you!
Roseanne
Ingrid ~ I more than get a return on my investment! What you offer in each and every email is nourishing to our bodies and our Spirit. I look forward to seeing you in my inbox each week and I hope you feel some of that nourishment back, knowing how many hearts are touched. ♥️
The Cozy Apron
You are such a sweet, kind soul...thank you for that Roseanne.
So much love to you...xoxo
Susan
From the Heart: The Price of Paying Attention. This is so beautiful & oh so true! It brought tears to my eyes.
In a way, it describes what I have been going through with my husband for almost fourteen years. How I look @ myself, as well as other people.
I needed to read this, so Thank you!
Will definitely send this to someone.
The Cozy Apron
Susan, thank you for sharing this with me. I'm so very glad it resonated with you and became a little bit of food for the soul.