Reclaim Your Attention
Last week I posted this quote on social media: Everything you are passionate about at the national level has a local analog that needs your attention.
Saying there is a lot going on in our world right now is a laughable understatement. The sense of overwhelm is almost palpable in the air. And in this moment, I am reminded of the serenity prayer: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
While national issues may feel urgent, our individual influence on them is often limited. We can spend years fixated on national politics, playing bit parts in a massive, impersonal system that few of us can influence individually. Or, we can shift the ground beneath our feet by working together, demonstrating a different way forward—one grounded in connection, collaboration, and action at the local level. The first step to making an impact is simple but transformative: reclaim your attention.
Today, big companies, advertisers, and technologies vie for our attention, commodifying it for profit, spending billions to capture and keep us absorbed. They dictate what we experience, shaping our behavior and shrinking our world. The constant pull on our focus leaves us fearful, distracted, and overwhelmed, reducing our ability to see the bigger picture and unable to prioritize what truly matters.
Our focus shapes our reality. As Daniel Kahneman explains in Thinking, Fast and Slow, the act of paying attention to something makes us believe it’s important. That attention loops back on itself, reinforcing our sense of its importance and pulling us into a tighter spiral of thinking. But this process isn’t always accurate—our attention is often led astray. The more we focus on the wrong things, the more our perception of their importance is distorted.
Reclaiming your attention means consciously choosing what to think about. William James, in his 1890 book The Principles of Psychology, wrote: “My experience is what I agree to attend to.” Your attention determines the experiences you have, and those experiences shape the life you live. In other words, your focus is your reality.
So, what do we want to pay attention to? If technologies and corporations weren’t relentlessly wresting our focus, what would we choose to notice, nurture, and engage with? Chances are, our core preferences—like reading, connecting with loved ones, or pursuing hobbies—haven’t changed. What’s shifted is our behavior, shaped by systems designed to capture our attention.
But here’s the radical truth: we’re not required to live like this. We are not obligated to remain trapped in this system. Imagine a world where our attention isn’t sold to the highest bidder. Where we create spaces—physical and digital—dedicated to connection, hobbies, and shared interests. These are places where our attention isn’t extracted but freely given to the things and people we care about.
Reclaiming your attention starts with small, conscious choices. What do you want to focus on? If the endless stream of social media and advertising didn’t pull at you, where would your attention go? Perhaps it would rest on your family, your passions, your neighborhood, or your community’s well-being.
When you choose to pay attention to your local community, you’re doing more than noticing—it’s an act of resistance and creation. By focusing on your town, your neighbors, and the issues in your immediate world, you become part of the solution. The next time you feel overwhelmed by the noise of the world, ask yourself: What can I do right here? What’s the smallest step I can take to make this place better?
What if the most powerful thing you could do is take control of your own attention? Start small. The stakes are high, but the opportunity is immense. Harness its power. Build a stronger foundation in your life, your home, your town.
