The Art of Concentration (Part 2)

In my previous article on concentration , I showed you some exercises to help you strengthen your power to concentrate. Today I will give you some new ones to practice.
Concentration is the art of turning all your power upon just one point at a time. If you want to accomplish anything then you must have the power to concentrate. Those who fail to develop this great power suffer from unhappiness and failures while those who develop it, greatly improve their work and make most of life’s opportunities. In order to make your life useful, successful and happy, you must concentrate. Take a look at the life of any great man or woman and you will find that the most important quality that made them successful was their ability to concentrate.

Most of our thoughts are irrelevant and repetitive. Your mind is only a part of you, it is not you, hence you have the ability to control it and you can do so easily when you master the art of concentration. Mind is a very powerful tool for you to use when you need it, however when you become possess by it and it start giving you all kinds of things to fear and worry about, it is not doing the job which it is suppose to do. When you engage in compulsive and repetitive thinking, your mind is not serving you. Through concentration these kinds of addictive thoughts loose their power over you and you become in charge of your mental realm.

CONCENTRATION EXERCISES

I have stressed upon being in the present in my article on happiness . If you do that you will feel alert and be more productive. Whatever happened yesterday you can not change it, thinking about it serves no purpose. Also you are not to worry about what we call the future. Whatever it is that you can do, it is in the present moment. So keep your power in the day that you are living on this earth. Some people find it difficult to do this, they think that they are living in the present but mentally either they are in the past or future. You must concentrate on what you do no matter how insignificant your task may appear. Pay attention to what you are doing instead of performing most of your work unconsciously or automatically. For example when you are making a cup of tea, be conscious of each step like putting the kettle on, putting the tea bag in to the cup, adding water, milk and sugar. Really concentrate on each step. This exercise will help you keep your thoughts and focus under your control. Similarly when you are having something to eat, concentrate on the flavour and taste of your food, notice its aroma and eat slowly. This will not only improve your concentration but also your health as you will eat less this way.

Pay close attention to only one thing at a given time and soon you will be able to concentrate. Hang on to that thought until you have attained what you wanted. When you work dwell steadily on your task. When you are in a conversation think before you speak, pay attention to the subject under discussion. Do not speak fast or ramble. Talk slowly, connectedly and steadily. Be deliberate in all that you do without hurrying.

Don’t let a day go by without practicing concentrating on some familiar object that is not very interesting, it could be a picture or a flower vase. It is better not to choose an interesting object as it requires less attention. After some practice you will find that you can focus your attention on uninteresting things as well.

A person who allows his mind to wonder is easily upset and irritated on the other hand a person that concentrates is well poised. When a person loses his or her poise, wisdom does not pass from the subconscious in to the consciousness. A mental quiet is necessary before the two consciousnesses can work in harmony. You can not have perfect concentration until you have peace of mind. So keep thinking peace and acting peace until you are at peace with yourself and the world. When you feel that your poise is slipping say “peace” and hold this thought and you will not loose your self control. When you have peace of mind you are not afraid, worried or anxious. When you reach this state you have no trouble to concentrate on anything.

Very few of us realize that when we get in touch with nature we discover our selves. By being aware of it and by appreciating it we learn the oneness of life and wake up to our own inner strength. When you take a walk or drive in the country concentrate on the trees, flowers and plants. Admire their beauty. Pay attention to their odor and texture. Shut out every other thought from your mind. Notice how calm they are and you will feel a wonderful sense of peace and stillness within you.

Concentration is nothing but willing to focus on a specific thing and willing that all foreign thoughts stay out. The rays of the sun when focused upon something by means of a magnifying glass produce a heat many times greater then the scattered rays of the same sunlight. This is also true for attention. When you scatter it you get ordinary results. But when you center it upon one thing you get much better results. If you focus your energies upon one thing to the exclusion of everything else, you will generate the force that can bring you what you want.

Discover and Develop True Talent of your Child >

< The Secret to Everlasting Happiness

Custom Search