New Operating System - Principle #3

In Deepak Chopra's "The Book of Secrets," he offers ten principles as a new "operating" system for a life of unity rather than one based on duality. I have committed to looking at one of the principles every day. Here's today's principle from the book:

3.  Whatever I pay attention to will grow: I will take inventory of how I'm using my attention.  One of the things Chopra says is that we create our universe.  I've heard it before but always thought of it as sort of a throwaway line around positive thinking.  Chopra seems to really mean it.  And some of the readings I've been doing in the new sciences may even support it.  So, I've been trying to pay attention to the possibility.  Of course, since there are six billion co-creating humans on the planet, not to mention the other possible co-creating cats, dogs, elephants, dolphins, mosquitos, scorpions, rocks, trees and highway markers, this co-creation stuff is bound to be a bit messy.

But I am trying to pay attention to the process of creation.  How do things come into being?  Some things I consciously do or make happen.  Other things seem to come into being on their own.  Thoughts often come unexpectedly from who knows where.  Emotions rise up with little relationship to the actual moment.  Things happen that have an uncanny relationship to what I've been thinking about.  While I was in South Carolina, an idea for a research project dropped into my lap fully formed.  It involves interviewing people around a question I'm interested in and then writing about the results.  When I got off the plane in Denver, a voice mail was waiting for me from an old friend who wants to do a series of books that involves interviewing people around a question he's interested in ... not the exact question I'm thinking about ... but one that also interests me.  He has the contacts and the infrastructure to make the interview process easier.  Synchronicity? ... or did I create it with my focused intention? On the other hand, the son of a friend of a friend was just killed by a drunk driver.  Who created that and how does it make sense?

What does it mean to take inventory of how I'm using my attention?  Last night I watched two episodes of "Boston Legal" and caught up on the drama of "The Bachelor."  I used the excuse of it having been a long travel day but, actually, I just wanted distraction from my ambivalent feelings of walking back into an empty house after two intense weeks of creation, discussion and connection with a good friend.  I don't think there was anything wrong or right about this use of attention ... just something to be aware of.  Today, I will continue to watch how I'm spending my attention.

About the image:  I am longing for spring!