Week 5: Look Where You’re Going

Remember when common sense seemed to get railroaded by the emotion of whatever or whoever it was that grabbed your attention? Before you knew it, you were moving in an entirely different direction. Usually there is a strong emotional appeal to the things that grab our attention. We get sucked in to those detours because something emotionally engaging is on those paths. My observation is that the things that tend to grab my attention are often things I should avoid. Advertisers make a living trying to grab my attention. And that’s okay. Everyone needs to eat and live indoors. Great advertisements appeal to our emotions. Let’s face it: malls and car dealerships are not emotionally neutral environments. But often the things that grab our attention lead to regret.

What captures our attention influences our direction. Attention, direction, destination. That’s the principle of the path in three words. As your attention goes, so goes your life.

Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path