Concentration or focused attention is very much respected by society. Parents want to teach children how to concentrate and memorize. And many people complain that they can not remain focused on one subject. Well, this is a misconception. Anger is concentration, hurt is concentration. All suffering is nothing but focused attention. All of us are having good concentration skills. The problem comes when you want to focus on something in which you are NOT interested. For example a student is not interested in maths but he  want to focus on maths only to pass the exams.

You are already master in concentration. If you don’t believe me then watch yourself when you are angry. You are so focused in anger that you forget everything. People can not stop smoking or drinking because of strong concentration. All suffering which comes after breakup is nothing but concentrated focus on a single person. If you can not forgive someone for years means you are totally focused on that person. This shows that you can remain focused on something for years.

Mind automatically get focused on the topic in which it is interested. Whether it is good or bad it doesn’t matter. You feel angry or hurt because it gives your ego good feeling. You feel like you are important.

You don’t need to develop the skills of concentration, instead find the area in which you are most interested and you will get easily successful.

The students which are always on the top in school exams may considered as intelligent just because they are on the top. But in latter years other boys, who are having more social skills, confidence, and common sense, who are more focused on money and power may get more successful. This so called intelligence (which is the outcome of concentration) is relative and only time being. The object of concentration will change according to your change in interest.

You will be considered as a genius as long as you are focused on something in which you are interested and easily getting success. But you can be also considered as a fool if people could not understand your genius. The view of society about a successful man is very narrow. Basically it is based on money or social states. Money can easily hide your stupidity.

Meditation is NOT concentration; a meditative person is not focused on anything. He is just present. That’s why concentration on breathing is not meditation. Suppose you are totally focused on breathing and forget everything, then it is not meditation. Every year thousands of people travel all around the world and waste money to learn such kind of stupid things. What they teach in meditation camps is nothing but concentration. Meditation camps are concentration camps because along with stupid techniques they also brainwash you. Meditation can not be taught in camps. You have to learn it yourself in daily activities.

Earning money, balancing relationships, enjoying life, learning new skills, making new friends and achieving goals everything is part of meditation. It is not running away from life. Meditation is very balancing act. A meditative person is not introvert or extrovert. He is just balanced.

A person trying to concentrate can easily get disturbed, because he is fighting, resisting and trying his best to remain focused on ‘one thing’. A meditative person can not be disturbed because he is not forcing himself to remain focused. He is simply present. Forced alertness or awareness is not meditation, it is concentration.

Meditation is to simply being with yourself in the moment. And concentration is to leave yourself and focus on some point in time and space.

Photo credit: Australian War Memorial collection

On this blog we often discuss about ‘meditation’ and ‘living in the present moment’ or living with ‘what is’ but that does not mean that one should not try to change ‘what is’ and remain stuck with ‘what is’. For example someone is having poor health or financial problems. Then focusing on ‘what is’ will only repeat the same experience and it will just give continuity to ‘what is’. One should be able to look for the better aspect in ‘what is’. There are always so many things happening around to which one can give attention and feel better.

And this is not running away from ‘what is’ but finding ‘better feeling aspects’ in ‘what is’. This is the first step. If you could just find something better in every negative situation you will feel much better. And every morning if you just make a small decision to see something better in every situation or every person you will feel much better and get aligned with good feelings. If you just do this small experiment for few days you will find your health will improve and you will become more energetic. Giving attention to everyday worries and problems however they may seem important only increases them. Your focus or attention only increases them. This is the second step to understand that your attention to negativity only increases negativity. First step was to look for better aspect in every situation and second step is to understand your attention to unwanted things only increases them.

For example you if someone is ill and if he is worried about his health and constantly finding what is wrong in his body, he will always find something wrong. Ok this is simple. Instead of finding something wrong see what is working well. Or just enjoy watching good movies, reading books or whatever makes you feel good. Distract your mind. Give your attention to something makes you feel better and your body will automatically start healing itself, and you will start getting better. Your attention to disease only magnifies disease. So your attention is the key. Your attention to illness prevents healing.

Now third step and that is using your imagination. This is the most powerful step which guides your brain to ‘what to create’ for yourself. If you imagine vividly anything you desire ‘as if it is already there’ sooner or latter your mind will create it.

People know it since thousands of years and almost all healing methods are using imagination. It is simple. Suppose you are skinny then regularly imagine yourself going to the Jim and eating healthy food, entertain how you will feel when you will get muscular and how will you feel when you will get strong. You don’t need to bother about ‘how you are going to be muscular’ because your mind will automatically find the easiest way to achieve desired result. Just imagine yourself walking in the street with your new healthy and muscular body with six pack abs of course inside your shirt and focus how will you feel when people will appreciate your new look. Make it more real and feel as if you are already having it.

If you are diseased then remember how you feel when you were healthy and as you entertain the feelings of healthy body your body will start getting better. It works in every situation. And use your imagination in easy situations or problems so that you can use it someday in difficult situations.

If you want to become financially stable then run a movie of yourself getting financially stable and effortlessly earning and living a rich and lavish life. Run this kind of movie in every detail and stay focused on this mental picture and always give attention to this picture in your mind whenever you remember. Enjoy being rich in your imagination and one day it will become your reality.

If you are afraid of public speaking then imagine that you are the best orator and people are appreciating your speech and you are talking to great audiences confidently, and you will achieve the proper alignment with those feelings and thoughts. Be consciously aligned with ‘what you want to achieve’ or ‘what you want to become’ with your thoughts or imagination. See as if it is already happening and feel inside how you will feel if you get there.

Remember your body is actually your thought in three dimension and your reality change with your thought. Your attention is creating your life experiences so learn to give attention to better aspects of life and stay focused on good feelings and prosperity of life. Your attention is your life.