take back control of your attention

In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.

Our mind is a contested bit of territory, with many people seeking to control what we call “the empire between your ears” in The Girl Who Would Be Free. Why? Because your brain, your attention, is valuable. People want you to think about certain things and not think about certain things–because it’s good for business, because it makes you easier to... See more

Epictetus’ father says that to be great, we first have to focus on “the empire between our ears.” He’s referring to our thoughts, our emotions, our urges, our desires, our fears...our own choices.

When we are grieving record stores, mixtapes, old-school romance, and friends goofing around in ‘90s high schools, what are we actually grieving? Delayed gratification. Deeper connection. Play and fun. Risk and thrill. Life with less obsessive self-scrutiny. These are things we can reclaim—if we remember what they are worth and roll back the... See more

No matter how much time I spend catching up on all the interesting links in my inbox, the Internet generates content way faster than I am able to consume it.

“So much can be accomplished in one focused hour, especially when that hour is part of a routine, a sacred rhythm that becomes part of your daily life.”

— Dani Shapiro

Digital Minimalism: A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.