#119: What focus reveals beneath the noise
Learn why life isn’t about winning but playing well, how focus reveals what busyness hides, why regrets come from inaction, and how awakening to your interconnectedness transforms everything.
Last week, I tried an experiment that left me both exhausted and surprisingly calm. It quieted my mind more than I expected.
I came home after a long, intense day. My thoughts were racing. Everything felt urgent, like I needed to make decisions right away. I wanted to journal, but I was too tired to write. It was late, and I didn’t feel like opening my laptop. So I tried something different. I started talking out loud.
It forced me to slow down. When you speak, you have to choose your words. You can’t jump from one thought to the next without noticing. I let myself pause, but I didn’t let myself drift into silence. If my mind wandered, I gently returned to speaking. One thought at a time.
It was harder than I expected. More intense. But by the time I went to bed, something had shifted. My mind was quieter. I had talked through most of what was bothering me.
I think I’ll try it again. It might look odd if you’re out in public, but as a kind of moving meditation, it was surprisingly effective. Thought I’d share it with you.
This week at a glance:
🎲 Life is a game you can't win
🎧 What focus reveals beneath the noise
🤔 Sam Altman on avoiding regrets
🌍 Awakening to your place in the whole
🎲 Life is a game you can't win
We take so much for granted until it's gone. Everything we cherish is held by the most delicate of threads. Have our internet go out, and suddenly we realize how fragile our grip on modern comfort really is.
Instead of appreciating that we're healthy, that our lights are on, that we don't have cancer, we get caught up in life's minor frustrations , a harsh comment from a stranger, disappointing statistics, or daily setbacks. We chase these smaller concerns while forgetting the fundamental truth that ancient philosophers like Epictetus understood: keeping our mortality in view helps put everything else in perspective.
Every relationship ends. Every marriage concludes in either death or divorce. We will hopefully predecease our children, but they too will die someday. This isn't meant to be depressing, it's meant to be liberating. When we truly understand the temporary nature of everything, we start appreciating what we have right now. The game of life isn't about holding on forever. It's about playing well while you're here.
Remember you must die. And remember to live while you're alive.
🎧 What focus reveals beneath the noise
We often mistake busyness for success, believing that constant activity means we’re making progress. But real growth comes from intentional focus, not endless hustle.
Our days fill quickly with checking boxes, attending meetings, planning for what's next. As responsibilities expand, this pace becomes impossible to maintain. No tool or system can outpace the weight of doing too much.
Busyness can also become a shield. It distracts us from deeper questions about meaning and purpose. The constant swing between doing and achieving keeps us from pausing long enough to ask why any of it matters.
True productivity begins when we recognize the pattern and choose to shift. Fewer actions, carried out with presence and care, often create more impact than a calendar filled to the brim.
I fall into that trap often. My calendar is usually packed. I’ve always linked it to my curiosity and hunger for life. But if I’m honest, there may be something else underneath. Maybe I stay busy to avoid the questions that surface when I finally stop moving.
Try this: choose one task today that truly aligns with your long-term vision. Give it your full attention. Let it be enough.
This kind of focus builds clarity and trust. In yourself, and in those who rely on your work.
🤔 Sam Altman on avoiding regrets
If you think you’re going to regret not doing something, you should probably do it. Regret is the worst, and most people regret far more things they didn’t do than things they did do.
✨ From Brain Food: Obsess Over The Basics
🌍 Awakening to your place in the whole
Most of us were taught to see ourselves through what we might call "spotlight consciousness" - that focused, narrow beam of attention we use when concentrating on specific tasks. But there's another kind of awareness we often overlook: our "floodlight consciousness." It's like driving while having an engaging conversation - you're not actively thinking about driving, yet you're still navigating safely.
This limited view of ourselves - identifying only with our focused attention - creates an artificial boundary between us and everything else. It's like watching a wave and thinking it's separate from the ocean. The truth is far more expansive: you're not just a tiny spotlight of consciousness in a vast, foreign universe. You're an expression of the entire show.
When we realize we're not just isolated observers but active participants in life's grand performance, our relationship with existence transforms. Fear of death loosens its grip because we understand we're not just temporary visitors - we're expressions of something far more enduring.
Imagine if we taught this to our children: "Welcome to the human game. Here are the rules, but feel free to rewrite them." Instead, we instill feelings of alienation and inadequacy, making people believe they are on probation, unworthy until they prove themselves. This mindset, passed down through generations, perpetuates the illusion of separateness.
The path forward lies in rediscovering our interconnectedness. By shifting from the narrow spotlight of ego to the expansive floodlight of awareness, we awaken to the truth: we are the cosmos, dancing, living, and creating endlessly. When we embrace this, life ceases to be a series of anxieties and becomes a joyful participation in the infinite play of existence.
✨ From The Secret That Was Kept Hidden From Us - Alan Watts on Existence
🎵 Music I’m listening to
You’ll find mostly Ethnotronica, Organic House, World, Disco, and Organic Electronic here:
🎧 If you appreciate the music I carefully select and haven't followed my Spotify playlists yet, now is the perfect time to hit that follow button and join me on this musical journey! 🎶
🌒 Pano: Danceable and electronic obscure songs
🌓 Sisy: Ethnotronica and organic house
🌑 Berghain: Dark, minimal techno and tech house
🌕 Heide: Groovy soul and disco house
🌞 Sonntag: Afterhours shit
🦥 Slow rave: Sleepy techno for tired danced
🌎 World: From Latin jazz to Turkish psych
🌚 Super Slow: For your intimate moments
Previously on Pursuit:
