Thread by @robgrav3s

A great point from @DeeperThrill.

It reminds me of the importance of focus.

https://twitter.com/deeperthrill/status/1013670300737777665

Consider light. If you diffuse light through a room, everything is dim, soft-edged, and barely visible.

But channel that same light into a beam and it sets things on fire.

Attention is the same way.

The ability to focus intensely is one of the most important skills you can cultivate (and it can and must be cultivated).

Think of those times when you were “in the zone.” What happened?

“The hours just flew by” - time stopped

“I forgot to even eat” - physical sensations stopped

“I wasn’t thinking, I was just doing” - conscious thought stopped

These are the effects of extreme focus.

In other words, you were outside yourself.

This is the flow-state, where the magic happens.

It’s how you get to the edge of your ability.

Here’s the situation though:

1. High-level focus is a prerequisite to ever being great at anything.

2. Literally every aspect of modern life is working to prevent high-level focus.

Think of the rampant, virulent success of social media.

Social media depends wholly on your inability to focus on any one thing for more than 3 seconds.

This isn’t hyperbole; this is their business model.

What this all translates to is that the ability to focus is becoming more rare, and therefore, more valuable.

This is true for anyone who ever wants to accomplish anything, not just creatives.

You must learn to focus.