Attentiveness means being alert and observant. I cultivate it by giving my undivided concentration to what is going on around me. Its opposite is distractedness.§
Comparing the behavior of one who is attentive to one who is distracted§ |
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|---|---|---|
Situation§ |
Attentiveness§ |
Distractedness§ |
In a conversation, you…§ |
look at the other person and listen closely.§ |
tend to look away and become distracted by surroundings.§ |
During a class, you…§ |
sit still and stay focused.§ |
constantly fidget and have trouble focusing.§ |
When attending a group meeting, you…§ |
participate, turning off your mobile phone to prevent interruptions.§ |
are constantly engaged in texting.§ |
Gurudeva explained: “You have heard me say many times, ‘Observation is the first awakening of the soul.’ If your observation is intense and accurate, your mind is not bothered and you are not regretting things that have happened to you in the past. […] The awakened soul is a joyous soul with a positive mind. The practice of observation will bring you closer and closer to this state.”§
“You have to always be the master, and be attentive to your goals in life.”§
“The very direction of mankind is right there in the early years, to be turned toward a great potential through love and attentiveness or allowed to decay through neglect.”§
ASSIGNMENT: In your conversations with others during these two weeks, strive to look at the person and refrain from fidgeting and texting.§
Date you began this assignment ____________________§
MY THOUGHTS ON THE BENEFITS OF ATTENTIVENESS: 
§
