Summary in 3 sentences
A self-help book towards reclaiming one’s attention away from social media and screens towards practices for holistic development, including movement, creativity, spirituality, research, and service.
How I discovered it
Through Cody-Cook Parrott (author) as I’m subscribed to their newsletter
Who should read it?
Folks beginning their attention reclamation journey, possibly looking to cut back on social media use or get rid of it altogether
How it changed me
Behavior, ideas, perspectives, emotional shifts
- Emotional resonance, especially the addictive qualities of digital media and compulsions to check to soothe self
- Enjoyed the invitation to reflect on movement, research, spirituality, service
- Idea of god box: filling a box with slips of paper with questions I am turning over that I am worrying about, whether it’s a person, an idea to let go of, a situation outside of my control
- My own attention audit: opting for movement in the afternoon, research and spiritual practice in the evening to help redirect attention
Top 3 quotes
Checking is a self-soothing act to me. It makes me think I am in control of my situation because not knowing if I am good at writing makes me feel out of control. So it’s less about being fatigued from writing and more about my self-judgments surrounding my work.
The checking gives a false sense of work, purpose, and control. I am not in control of my writing practice when I start to check those things, though, so I’ve made it a habit to continue building the muscle of not checking.
Walking is…a place to receive my assignments to bring back to the desk. A place to bring my longing so I can sit in my office or at my dining room table and let the words flow out of me…
Walking is merely a task that brings me closer to myself and my creative work. It unblocks me with little effort. After only a few steps outside, my worries begin to vanish and my dedication to idea cultivation resumes.
From Carl Phillips’ book My Trade is Mystery: “as long as I am living in language, as I like to put it, I count it as writing.”
When I write my newsletter, I often ask myself, “What do my friends need this week?” I think of those I have spoken to recently, what they’ve been interested in, and what they’re reading, working on, and paying attention to.