By Walter Steinwald. Originally written August 6, 2015. In our home, in education or living, we’ve always struggled to allow concentration to have its way. When the kids have shut out, through play, all thoughts toward anything else, the schedule is often realigned. I know it takes work to concentrate, task or leisure centered, so when I see them focused on a thing; a game, figurine play, sewing etc. it is difficult for me to find something more important for them to do. It seems to me that facilitating their habits or abilities to concentrate is giving them a certain greater gift than that small piece of information that was planned in our school schedule. Practicing prolonged concentration in a busy world always reminds me of Jack London’s To Light A Fire; it is a necessary thing to be done in the midst of great opposition. When we concentrate, all or very much of, our intellectual tenants are pointed at one single thing, magnifying the subtleties and finding the ironies. This requires us, in some degree, to bracket or push aside all things not necessary to the point. (I have always marveled at readers in busy public places.) Taken together these actions allow us to grasp the thing for a prolonged time, filling ourselves with the object and nothing else. Whatever the object, this is how we make it a part of ourselves. This is how we build our intellectual homes. One could hardly find the mysteries in our world without applying these mental pressures unless we strain intuition to breaking point. All reality to some extent requires us to set upon it with these mental claws. The greatest of searches, that one for ourselves, requires much energy and relies on a deep penetration done with focus. In fact, if we don’t want to slog through life with knee-jerk responses, we admit that honor, love, forgiveness—most any saintly act—and even emotions require concentration for a proper response. For one not to simply grow older, but in order to mature as well, the ability to concentrate must also develop in relation. {Click below to continue reading.}
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