Pay Attention

Why do we say, “Pay attention?” I can think of myriad ways that term is used; its meanings are as various. It is not as if we mean, “You owe a debt to attention.” Yet, it could have that meaning—so stay tuned. If we lived in a bartering society, the term “pay attention” very well could carry significant freight. Merriam-Webster defines Pay; to give in return for goods or service.

So let’s go with that definition; In today’s society, time is a commodity. Blocks of time are sold for advertising, studios for musicians’ practice and recording, lawyers, psychotherapists, to name a few. Some of those time blocks are carved into nanoseconds. Money is to be made.

Now let’s get back to the simple admonition; “Pay attention!” Whether it is said by your teacher, driving instructor, or your mate it carries significant freight; it means giving up distractions (well, you don’t think of them as distractions—you can multitask! —you continue telling yourself.) To pay attention means you will spend (another variation of pay) your time looking, listening, or whatever the occasion demands to have you totally absorbed in the here-and-now.

To pay attention while driving, not only can help improve your driving, but possibly save you from a serious if not fatal accident. How you pay attention to your teacher could very likely result in career success. Paying attention to your mate results in a golden relationship. Paying Attention, is immersing yourself in the moment.

Scientific studies have proven that successful multitasking is a myth. Oh! Sure, you say, I can practice a speech while dressing for the day. You can, memorize a poem or scripture while driving your car. The reality is that neither is done really well. The National Safety Council reports that more than one and a half million automobile crashes happen every year driving while using cell phone. It is nearly impossible to pay attention, fully, to two things at once.

There is a story in the Gospel of Luke where two sisters, Martha and Mary, gave a meal for Jesus and his disciples in their home. While Martha complained that Mary was not helping prepare the meal, Jesus pointed out to Martha that she was distracted, and missed something important going on right in her home. On another occasion, Jesus pointed out how crucial it is to pay attention; to put first things first; an idea that has become a fundamental principle for many Time Management leaders.

To pay attention is to give value to the person you are with or to the task you perform. An example of how important it is to pay attention; think back to a conversation in which the other person was distracted. You felt devalued. When you pay attention, you not only increase the value of that moment for yourself, you also increase your value to that person.