WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SHIFT YOUR ATTENTION FROM WHAT TO HOW?
Photo by Liz Wuerffel
So many of us are trying to figure out WHAT TO DO in these turbulent times. It is an important question. What you do matters. Your actions are the result of countless other actions that came before and will influence countless actions to come. Yet, when you focus solely on WHAT to do, you miss the equally important question of HOW to do whatever it is you do. Only paying attention to the WHAT can also make you more susceptible to the paralyzing story that what you do doesn’t matter. So often we don’t get to be privy to the impact of our best work in the world. When you give your attention to the HOW, you get to feel the immediate experience of your actions.
So, if the WHAT question is immobilizing you, shift gears. Some of the most useful work you can do right now is to show up with your whole self to the upheaval all around you. Take it in deeply and reckon with it, not just in your mind, but in your body. If you know what your WHAT is, don’t forget to pay close attention to HOW you are doing it.
