It can be pretty difficult to see beauty in the world.
Especially if you live in a city.
Having recently moved into London, I’m experiencing this.
It’s not that the beauty isn’t there. It’s just that no one makes money from you appreciating a beautiful building or lamp post.
And so sadly, everywhere you go, there’s an advert.
The most prevalent example of this is on the tube.
The tube is a wonder of architecture, form and beauty. It’s actually an amazing thing.
But you just get bombarded by adverts and so you can’t appreciate the wonderful patterned tiling of the platforms, or the amazing joinery of the tracks.
And the reason why there’s adverts is because companies are trying to get a hold of a key asset: your attention.
The things you pay attention to are the things that make up your life.
And if you aren’t conscious of what you’re actually paying attention to, you’ll end up being fed nonsense from people selling you things.
It’s hard these days. I get it. Our minds want to be distracted. And it’s easy with multiple screens vying for your attention. Millions are spent on adverts to make you focus on them. It’s never been easier to be distracted.
But it degrades your experience of life.
And it’s absolutely exhausting for your brain and for you. It’s also not conducive to happy life.
So it’s a good idea to change your approach and to become more mindful of how you spend your attention.
This is one of the major reasons meditation is so powerful and helpful.
When we meditate, we train our minds to focus on what we want to focus on.
As opposed to the horse leading the cart (like it does for most people), we’re in the driving seat.
We become masters of our attention.
Meaning we choose where to pay it.
And get better returns as a result.
So next time you’re out and about, try and focus on things of beauty.
Maybe it’s some spring flowers sprouting. Or a bit of Victorian architectural flair on a nearby building. Or maybe just a blue sky.
Pay your attention there, appreciate the beauty, and you’ll get much more joy in return.
Love, as always,
Max
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