In this day and age mankind is bombarded by information. Television networks, the music industry, the internet, and many other forms of media are all fighting for our attention, and to be honest its hard not to get caught up in all the media craze. Walking down the street of the average American neighborhood you’ll see the glow of televisions through windows more often then you’ll see families spending time together outside. Even in public places like restaurants and parks you’ll often find eyes glued to phones. The distractions are everywhere, so how does one stay focused? Filter your life.

FIND YOUR FOCUS

What is your truth, your purpose? Do you even know what that is to you? Well, if you don’t know what your purpose is, then you have some soul searching to do. If you know your truth, great! If not, don’t freak out! Give yourself direction and choose something. If you find out the path you chose wasn’t meant for you, great! You are one step closer to your truth. It is better to have some direction in life then none at all.

Alright, so you have your purpose. Now for the sifting. We all have only so much attention to give, so give your attention to the things that bring you in line with your purpose. If a person, place, activity, thought, etc, doesn’t contribute to the mindset or lifestyle that you desire, drop it. Observe your thoughts, actions, and other aspects of your daily life and ask yourself if what you observe contributes to your growth. If it doesn’t contribute to your growth, then it either distracts you or contributes to your regression.

Just as you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with, you are the sum of the music you listen to, the thoughts you think, the books you read, and the video you watch. Everything you are exposed to influences you to a higher or lesser degree. The music you listen to, videos you watch, and other media you expose yourself to invoke certain emotional states and thought patterns. For this reason it is incredibly important to be strict with what you allow into your life.

HOW TO FILTER 

Music: The tactics that I used to filter my music might be extreme for some, nonetheless, they worked very well for myself. I used Spotify for my music consumption. (If you don’t use or like Spotify, it doesn’t matter.) The first thing I did was stop paying for Premium. What that did was force me to play all my music on shuffle. Sounds horrifying, right?

Well, because I had no freedom of choice as to what song will play, and rarely skipped to save myself the pain of ads, I started deleting songs. TONS of songs. If I skipped a song more then three times, DELETED. If I became aware that a certain song did not support the mindset I want to maintain, DELETED. If I realized a song invoked negative emotions or thoughts, DELETED.

Food: This area of life was easier for me because I already have a disciplined diet. I’m a plant- based human and I know my food is healthful and makes me feel good. No, I’m not going to shove veganism down your throat. If you’re filtering the food you consume, do what works for you and eat what makes you feel good. Observe how you feel after eating and then decide whether or not you want to filter whatever it is you ate out of your diet or keep it.

People: I believe this is the hardest area to filter, but also one of the most vital. When you spend time with a person observe what kind of energies they contribute to your being. Are they lifting you up, or bringing you down? Realize that you have one life to live and that falling short of what you wanted in life because you chose to hang with the wrong crowd is really going to hurt. Think long- term. You invest time and energy into those people you allow in your life, so invest wisely. If you cannot filter someone out completely, like that one negative family member for example, then distance yourself from them. Don’t be rude, use whatever tactic you feel necessary and filter negative people out of your life.

TV and other media: Social media, TV, and movies are incredibly influencing and for that reason, dangerous. If you don’t believe these forms of media can be used for brainwashing, propaganda, or as a way to distract you from your own life, then you need to do some research and open your eyes. Don’t get me wrong though. Not all forms of media are bad; it all depends on how you use them.

Use media for educational purposes. Watch a documentary instead of a sitcom. If you really can’t find a better way to utilize your time then to stare at a screen, then watch a YouTube video about a subject that interests you. Unfollow accounts on Instagram that don’t teach you something or inspire you to better yourself. Use media as a way to uplift your consciousness instead of as a distraction.

LET GO

Sounds like you’re giving up a lot, right? Don’t worry, all you’re really letting go of is energy that kept you from growing into a better you. If you cannot let go of something that you know you should filter out, then realize that whatever that may be has some form of control over you. Don’t let that worry you either. Keep on filtering and you will start to feel your energy grow and over time it will become easier to filter out things you previously thought you couldn’t live without.

Remember: You only have one life to live, so fill it with that which empowers you and fuels your fire!