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I have read Eckhart Tolle's, The Power of Now.

I saw value in the idea that when your focus is completely present, there is quality in what you do.

I've applied this and it works for me, where I used to often be distracted by excessive thinking (concerning past and future) that prevented me from observing a situation clearly.

My concern is that things are running smoothly for me right now and that, should I be required to remain focused, present and out of the absorption of distracting thoughts / ego engagement to provide quality responses in situations of panic, arguments and so on, that it would be extremely difficult to have such discipline.

What method has worked for you to keep your focus completely in the present moment without your attention going into whirlpools of seizing thought?

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2 Answers

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Give attention to all the colours in your surroundings. Then feel the life beneath your skin in different parts of your body that you choose to focus on. Then instead of looking at the person you may have an intense situation with, look at the smallest details of their features. Then breathe so deep that you feel your lungs expand up against your back. Then listen to the silence between all the sounds you hear. Then listen to how beautiful the sounds are when you give full attention to them. Then act and your action will be based on an interaction that excludes the clutter of your mind.

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Meditation is one method; paraliminals another, binaurals also; making sure I have enough sleep, nutrients, exercise yet another way to help my mind to stay focused. I'm sure NLP practitioners have many tips for this, hypnosis specialists also. It depends on what is appropriate or easier for you. Hope it helps.

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Thank you. Just to add, there are some situations that can send you into your mind more than others. For instance, being in a peaceful place makes it easy to be present. Being in an intense situation can illicit reaction as opposed to letting you be calm and present so as to not place weight on the situation. – Warren van Rooyen Jan 27 at 18:35
Warren, you are right. I should have asked more about the nature of those intense situations. I have used some of the methods I've recommended, and have worked for me, and I didn't need them because I was living in a peaceful environment or had an easy life; I didn't even want a life anymore, so it was pretty bad, and these things helped when I din't see any other way out. Regarding the ability to focus under pressure, I have heard of zen meditation practitioners being able to stay so calm and focused while being severely physically hurt, that their doctors couldn't believe how hurt they were. – 0ana Jan 28 at 6:26

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