The energy we put into attention can serve different tasks.

We can opt for being attentive or for being anxious.

When we are being attentive we are open to the information we receive. Curiosity invites us to go further. Our focus is broad and seeks to connect the dots.

When being anxious, our view is restricted and focused on fear. The intake of information is related to fear. Anxiety becomes the goggles used to analyze incoming information.

The difference in scope impacts our ability to analyze a situation. We go from creating solutions based on information to taking shortcuts or jump to conclusions.