Focused Awareness

(overcoming expectations, internal chatter, doubt, fear, blame, judgement, etc.)

an article by Kyle McClure

ARTIST/PHILOSOPHER

“Sometimes the beauty of the entire ocean can be hidden behind the mystery of a single wave”

I believe that the ability to be aware of what we’re focused on may be the key to seeing things for how
they truly are. When we feel negatively, we are focused on what is not present and desired; or what we
desire to no longer be present. When we feel positively, we focus on what is present and desired; or
what we ideally desire to continue to be present.

Focusing on what we’re focused on builds resiliency to this cycle; it allows for the resolution of conflict
between positive and negative. Outside the spectrum of for better or worse, our minds are free to
interpret that we ourselves create what seems better or worse simply by focusing on it. And yet it
seems that a momentary glimpse into the liberation of what is, is quickly followed by a lengthy
process of “what happened?” or “what comes next?”

Throughout our lives, focus is something that seems to come and go as the environment inevitably
changes shape; in line with or against our expectations. Yet it’s common to have moments of clarity
where our focus lines up with the truth of what we witness; seeing things for how they change.

There are moments where all competing thoughts disappear and it seems like all things have
spontaneously come together into a perfect apprehension; only to be lost as soon as we question the
validity of the experience.

We assign importance to moments, become attached to moments, compare one moment to all others
that have come before, and all that could come next; only to lose apprehension of the moment. Once
we begin comparing, the moment is lost. It is not easy to obtain the moment because our minds are
very quick to latch onto a perception of an experience; building vast layers of opinions and
associations around it based on all that we’ve encountered.

So cohesion is never actually out of our grasp; it’s just being covered up by the competing perceptions
of what was, is but shouldn’t be, or what could/should be.
When we believe we have to solve the mystery that comes with our inability to accept things for how
they are, we feel as if something is very wrong. Or there is something to blame. But nothing is ever
wrong, it just is. Once we understand and accept this we can choose what to focus on.

A large problem I see that stands in the way of liberated focus is our conditioned tendency to judge
reality. If we believe we are in a bad place full of bad things, we often do bad things (create a process
full of comparisons and diluted focus for others) for the environment by reacting to what we believe
has wronged our moment.

Rather than seek to delicately correct our loss of focus, we become frustrated and act out in a way
that has all conscious beings in the environment disrupted by our reaction.

This only happens when we build an expectation and something disrupts it. If we choose to disrupt a
disruption, all entangled minds suffer in the process.

Sometimes the individuals we involve in our deliberations are unaware that anything is wrong at all.
Sometimes the reaction is exacerbated by many individuals disrupting at once. There is a chain
reaction here that makes our society seem very unstable and always at the brink of conflict. I believe
this is due to the inability to comprehend that change is constant.

We’re comparing all that is meaningful to self with all that is perceived by self then coming out
believing that self deserves to see all of, and only, what self wants. But all selves want that; and one
self can only have what all can. So all must seek the acceptance of all things to avoid illusion.

We can build countless layers of meanings for things until we’re blinded and it’s no longer clear where
we’re standing. We can remain unclear of what effects our actions have while we’re creating the very
environment we are judging.

But there is no doubt in my mind that a mind that expects to only have certain experiences, will
become exhausted; absolutely depleted!

So exhausted it will only be able to react in processes of fragmented duality to no true avail because
nothing will ever meet it’s expectations.

Experiencing the surrounding environment as better or worse creates a fragmented understanding; it

comes with the apprehension and comparison of this and that; good and bad.

We create momentary ideations as an attempt to accept or reject what is displayed rather than
witness it as it is. We question the validity of self in comparison to others rather than witness things as
they are. We think we are different, and because of this we fail to see the unity we’re looking for.

We disrupt our focus on what is each time we experience something that challenges the expectations
of our current environment; or choose to compare it.
One final way to explain this is to think of success or failure as a process rather than a result. A result
brings along a risk factor. Fear and doubt follow.

This holds us back from ever finding self confidence, self worth, the ability to critically think,
instinctively produce intellect, learn new things, etc.

We waste time when we believe that we ourselves know better than another.

Next time you think someone for a fool, realize it was you who didn’t understand them. Your own
expectations for how a person should communicate with you got in the way of understanding what
was actually being communicated.

Rather than dismiss something as nonsense or become irritated, seek to understand by dropping
expectations and beliefs until you have resolved your collective confusion.

“Everything is nothing before it becomes something.”