How Too Much Action is Your Main Distraction

The more often I try to keep myself away from distractions and hold onto a clear state of mind, the stronger the pull of those distractions seems to be.

If I were to ask an actual spiritual practitioner, I’m sure I could guess the answer to the question,

“When you feel yourself making progress in the areas of connectedness, being present, and staying focused on the now, is it normal to feel the pull of distractions and negativity even stronger than before?”

If the answer were anything but a resounding YES, I would be very surprised.

It’s the same feeling as when you start eating healthier foods and keep your diet more regimented. You’ll definitely feel the effects of that candy bar after weeks of fruits and veggies. There’s no avoiding that sensitivity to hazards you develop after a period of healthy growth.

The more progress you start making, the more distractions you have to contend with.

Distractions of any kind can be like any other habit we develop.

We can’t help wanting to get out of our minds any chance we get, especially when we’re trying to stay consistent with ourselves and our goals.

Technically, I’m doing it right now. Even though it may seem like I need to be fully present and alert to articulate my thoughts in a meaningful and coherent way, I’ve gotten to the point now where writing like this — rambling to myself in the morning to get the engines started — has just become another habit. I don’t necessarily need to activate every atom in my brain to do it.

There are other things I could be doing for myself in regard to how I spend my morning, but dealing with responsibilities and ambiguous future-stuff just seems like a headache when you first wake up.

This way, I can roll out of bed, pop in some lo-fi beats and let those lingering beads of dream dew dry off on my keyboard without having to think very much about it.

Not all distractions are terrible.

Developing a morning writing habit is anything but a detriment, whether it’s distracting me from the ever-present To-Do List or not. Figuring ourselves out and developing as people and creators is why we’re all here, is it not?

It’s all about finding the best way to lighten the mental load so it’s not so easy to sink into the quicksand of outside attention-grabbers.

I just finished listening to the audiobook of The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle. I know I’m pretty late to the game with this one as I’ve heard about it for years, but my schedule hasn’t lent much time to actual reading lately and since I’m on the road so much for work, I figured it was time I went the audio-book route. It was the first book I downloaded and I thought it was definitely as good as advertised.

I’m reminded of it when I think about the best way to go through the day not being overwhelmed by distractions. The book teaches you how to be present and how to simply not resist the moment you find yourself in at any given time; to embrace fully who you are and where you are Now, without letting yourself get pulled into the trappings of time.

The past and future are only distractions to the present moment.

They pull you away from experiencing life in its purest form, which can only be felt when we let go of what is behind us and give no mind to what is to come.

When I talk about distractions, though, I don’t necessarily mean being caught up in past mistakes or fretting over the future.

I really just mean the kinds of things that pull at our attention throughout the day; things like our routines and responsibilities, the immediate wants and needs of those close to us, the internet and social media. These all distract us from the wholeness and pure sense of being we can feel if we allow ourselves to remain fully present regardless of how good or bad we deem those distractions.

Try and think about the distinction between what you feel are positive distractions versus negative.

Which ones come from outside sources and which are strictly in your mind? Which are easier to deal with? Do you feel as if you have no control over outside distractions and are thus incapable of controlling your interactions with them? Who then is controlling your attention?

It’s an exercise we should all practice.

All of us out here trying to create better versions of ourselves. Reading and writing articles and testing different kinds of habits for self-development. Helping each other self-actualize or start careers or simply just get through the day.

We all need to realize that, as great as these things are for yourself and others, they are as much distractions to yourself in this moment as anything else. They may not be seen as negative distractions, but nonetheless, your mind is elsewhere.

It’s focused on action. It’s focused on time.

It’s focused on a past which cannot be changed and a future which does not exist. We exist now. We can only experience this moment.

So, to let ourselves become so wrapped up in the idea that once we become this or that, once we achieve this status, or finish that book, or are seen as the person we wish to be, is denying the fact that the fulfillment we seek from these potential futures is a feeling that only truly exists within our presence at this very second.

It’s hard not to fall into the thought pattern that it’s only possible to feel such fulfillment through the gateway of acts and deeds. That you have to take action to pull those blissful futures towards you.

We think we have to do the actual physical labor to build the bridge from who we are now, to who we will become in time.

It’s so hard for us to comprehend that such substantial change could happen at this very moment. Since we feel we have nothing worthy enough to trade for enlightenment, we think we need to acquire the necessary criteria before we make such a request.

We need to distract ourselves for long enough to check our made-up boxes and achieve a list of respectable accomplishments. Then, and only then, we can feel comfortable enough to ask for what we’ve had in our pocket the entire time.

It’s so much easier said than done, I know. I struggle with the idea of letting go of time, of self-actualization, of being fully present as much as anyone. We all assume it’s a process, but the whole point is to realize that a process is something that exists within time, and only in the Now will we find what we hope for that process to give us.

We can’t continue allowing ourselves to succumb to the distraction of action or to focus solely on the results of that action.

“Do not be concerned with the fruit of your action — just give attention to the action itself. The fruit will come of its own accord.” — Eckhart Tolle

It’s rough out here in these cerebral streets, people.

Arm yourselves with the light of being. Don’t overshadow yourself with the distraction of doing.

Let the world manifest as you walk, don’t obsess over your destination.

Lift the weight of future from your shoulders and pull the anchor of the past from your feet. Walk freely and formless over the distracting quicksand's of time.

Only there, in the center of all things gone and all things yet to be, will you find who you are and the power to be who you always have been.

Like what you see? If you’d like weekly words from yours truly, enter the portal.

Let’s connect. >>(!)<<

Support my work and get full access to Medium stories for a measly 5 dollars a month. What a steal!

Or, check out my entire portfolio at MossManSupreme.com