The brain loves to be busy, it seems to be its easiest mode. It’s most certainly a residual of our quest to be safe.

There are the moments in which the brain is busy with the latest Facebook news or some other distractions we’ve chosen to engage in. Something grabbed our attention and our brain enjoys being satisfied with some distraction.

There are moments during which our brain is busy with the latest emotions. The brain activates itself to make sense of the emotions, of what happened and lead to an emotion, or searches for ways to explain why this happened again. The brain is busy reassuring ourselves by revisiting the story we are telling ourselves and finding ways to verify that the story remains true. It is for the brain a time of making meaning and giving attention to it.

There are also the moments in which the brain is busy being focused on some activities that put the brain into some kind of flow. A happy state where our attention is focused on an activity we value.

In all three cases, our brain is pulled into paying attention to something. This also means, that whatever we are paying attention to has power over us. We’ve made ourselves subject to it.

That may be fine with us. However, as long as we remain subject to whatever grabbed our attention we gave up access to the present moment. What is missing in such a moment is to involve our mind to be present to what our brain does. It is by doing so, that we regain power over where our attention is.

It’s the art of giving ourselves a choice. And the possibility to give our brain a rest.

It does require us to learn to smile whenever we’ve forgotten that we’ve such a choice. Once we’ve smiled the choice is there again.