Develop the art of concentration

The human mind resembles a burning glass whose rays are intense only when they are concentrated. As the glass burns only when its rays are converged to a focal point, so the mind illumines the world of science, literature or business, only when it is directed to a solitary object.

What is more powerless than the scattered clouds of steam as they rise to the sky? They are as impotent as the dewdrops that fall nightly upon the earth, but concentrated and condensed in a steam boiler, they are able to cut through solid rock, propel atomic ships, and accomplish the seemingly impossible.

A laser is a weak source of energy. It takes just a few watts of energy to focus its rays in a coherent stream of light. But with it, you can drill a hole in a diamond or destroy cancer cells. When we focus, we create the same effect. We create a powerful, laser-like ability to get anything done in our lives that we desire.

The essence of concentration

There is an excellent Sanskrit word for concentration — ‘ekagrabuddhi’. It means single-pointed attention. It is that quality of attention that is unbending in its fixity of objective. Single-pointed attention means focusing your energies on the intended purpose with such resoluteness that you allow no obstacles to consume and dissipate the focused quality of your attention. All irrelevant issues are excluded from your consciousness while you are committed to your singular goal with intense passion. You are able to maintain a high degree of serenity and self-composure. This is the essence of concentration. Concentration is the secret and source of all strength and effectiveness in the management of human affairs. Concentrate all your thoughts, all your energy upon the work at hand. People are naturally wired to focus on only one thing at a time. As the gardener, by severe pruning, forces the sap of the tree into one or two vigorous limbs, so should you chop off miscellaneous activity and concentrate your force on one or a few points.

Concentration helps you to prioritize issues in your life. If you want to lose weight, you must be focused. If you want to create wealth, you must be focused. If you want to enjoy intimacy with God, you must be focused. Focus is everything. Without it, you will live a life of mediocrity.

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