In this article I’ll share three of my “big ideas”:
Idea One:
I believe the only way forward for humanity, is to lead from courageous vulnerability.
This is the only way to bridge the gap between liberals (who often need more courage) and conservatives (who often need more sensitivity / vulnerability)
This is what my upcoming book is about:
Leading from Courageous Vulnerability:
The 8 Leadership Essentials for
People Who Want to Change the World
But beyond the people, what about the planet?
Modern western scientific approaches alone cannot solve multiple problems and polycrisis that we are experiencing.
One major reason for this, is that Western science is reductionistic, and often focusing on “The things"/ parts of the whole, rather than "the relationships”, or the "connection between the things."
Idea Two:
Globally, while the focus on carbon has been rising, There is one chemical compound that despite its importance as THE most important element needed for life, the collective consciousness around it is sorely lacking.
This chemical compound is water.
Ignorance of how water moves on the surface, under the surface, in the atmosphere – the large and small water cycle, mirrors many people's ignorance of their own focus and attention.
Major companies spend millions, if not billions of dollars trying to find how they can siphon your attention – your energy – which basically means your life force - away from you.
Idea Three:
What is your ROA?
You've heard that time is actually more valuable than money. That's true – because you can never get it back once you spend it. But what's actually more important than your time? Your attention.
You could be spending time sitting at your desk at work… But how much of your attention or Lifeforce is actually being spent?
What is your current ROA?
And I don't mean Return on Assets.
I mean the return on your attention.
Does it have a personal return?
A financial return?
Or return to impact the world?
If you're an investor with existing currencies, the stock market, or commodities, you're always thinking:
"how can I increase my return on investment?"
Both now, and in the future? And of course, the rule of investing… To not lose money.
Whereas this is obvious and you could tell somebody if they asked you… and you’ve heard, and may believe that time is even more valueable that money - because once it’s gone it gone. You can never get it back.
Now consider attention. Which I think is even more valuable than your time, because even if you are spending your time on something, you may well not be fully present, attentive, and in flow.
Have you ever asked yourself: What is the value of my attention?
Have you ever asked yourself: What is the value of my future attention?
What is the potential value of my future attention, and my Return on Attention, on which I place my focus?
With current technologies, as well as limitless opportunities for personal growth, the answer to that, could be far greater than you ever imagine.
Your future Return on Attention could be far, far more than it is today. But that is contingent on the possibility that you actually Pay Attention... and if it’s in an area in which are naturally talented, and you’re passionate about, It will feel effortless and joyful.
So continuing this thought, your future Return on Attention is actually way more valuable than even your time, or your money… How much would it be worth to you, to maximize the value of your future attention?
How would you do this?
Simply said, by increasing both the quality and the quantity of your future attention, and focus it on the areas that matter most, to YOU.
If you look at things from a downside risk perspective… If you may not be able to exactly quantify the value of your future attention... but if you agree with the above logic, you understand it could be really really valuable – more than time or money... What is the downside risk?
Starting from the wisdom of Warren Buffett:
Rule 1: Don't lose money
Rule 2: Refer to rule One.
We can take that same logic, and apply it here:
Considering your future Return on Attention, the number one rule is to not lose the value of the potential increase of your future attention.
IF you are able to increase your ability to be in Flow—An optimal state of consciousness where you feel your best and perform your best (Kotler)—and you don’t do that… that loss… is on you.
If you compare the gap – the Delta between a future where your ability to hold your attention in the future skyrocketed, and that line goes "up and to the right"
vs....
Your current ability to hold your attention... where that line goes basically straight to the right… But flat...
That's a future loss of attention that must avoided all costs in both quantity and quality.
This is actually optimistic, and based on the assumption that ability to hold your attention stays the same, and does not decrease, based on countless distractions, or priorities that are just "ok" but don't really align with where you are most inspired.
In the last 20 years, attention spans have dropped from 2.5 minutes, to now, about 45 seconds (https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-attention-spans.html)
And guaranteed the tech companies in the "attention economy" will continually find more and better ways to hook your attention and provide your brain constant drips of dopamine.
So now you know.
You actually just took the red pill without realizing it.
You see the thing is, because you've read this now… You can't go back.
This is one piece of information, just like changing a value in a spreadsheet recalculates all the rest of the values in that spreadsheet... changes for your future capacity and potential...
If you're serious to not just maximize your personal potential… But to make the highest value impact that you can for your community and the world...
Increasing your Return on Attention... is not optional. It's essential. Your ability to increase the quality and quantity of your attention, by cultivating your ability to be in Peak flow states.
When you are in a flow state, you can feel your best, and perform your best - and this is both the foundation upon which everything else rests, and the “container” through which your passion and commitment are channeled to do your life's work.
And the crazy thing is… Those don't know this, those who only maintain the same level ability to hold their attention... as their "Return on Attention" flat lines to the right...
They'll probably never know.
They may have trouble forgetting things, or names maybe… But their clarity of thinking, their synthesis, and their productivity, effectiveness and inspiration will be 1000x less than someone who does.
How do you do increase the value of your future attention, and the return on that value?
Stay tuned...
