On balance

One of the great qualities of the human mind is that we can only focus our attention on one thing at a time. 

Normally this feature of our cognitive clockwork is advantageous. It's what allows us to have a meaningful conversation with a friend in a crowd, to focus on doing only one piece of homework at a time, and to drive safely (when we are actually focusing our attention on the road, and not our phones, radios, breakfast, etc.).

When you find something you really, REALLY love, having the narrow attention span of a human can be dangerous... okay, that's dramatic. But it can be problematic. 

While attention is great for allowing us to focus on something specific, it also blinds us from everything else we might/should be noticing.

I love being a Student of Wonder. And I really love writing new speaking bits, or developing new magic, or learning more about how to make my business better. I love these things so much that in the past few weeks I've not been able to focus my attention on much else. I haven't given much time to spend with family or friends, I certainly haven't spent any mornings reading the news, and some days I've even neglected my health and gone meal-less. 

Sometimes we need to be reminded to step back and take a break from the things we love. The last thing I would want is to shut out everything else I want in my life, or to "burn myself out". It has been said that "absence makes the heart grow fonder", and its true. I've made an effort to schedule in some "personal time" this week, to unwind a little and take a break from being a Student of Wonder all the time. 

Tonight, I'm going to actually watch a movie! And I'm going to focus all of my attention on it. and when it's time to work tomorrow, I'm sure to feel refreshed and re-energized... ready to fall in love with my passions all over again!

Here's a video of a juggler who might understand a thing or two about balance. Enjoy!

brandon@studentofwonder.com

P.S. Two months to "In Possibility"... my new mindreading show! Check it out here.