The Practice of Attention: Cultivating Presence in a Distracted World

A guide to reclaim your focus and live with presence through practices that embrace your creativity and inspire you to live with awe

It’s no secret that our attention is fractured. We look for distraction anytime we have a spare moment or feel bored or uncomfortable. We yearn to be fully immersed in the moment—whether for deep work or pleasure—but we have almost forgotten how. The Practice of Attention opens the door to reclaim our focus, so we can be more present with those we love, be more immersed in our work and play, and ultimately live more fully.

Beloved artist and teacher Cody Cook-Parrott invites us to join them in building practices that heighten our attention. Beginning with an exploration of what we’re avoiding when we distract ourselves, Cody offers an Attention Audit that helps us understand where we place our focus (and where we lose it) throughout the day and week. After getting a clear understanding of where we are, we can create a schedule and a life with more focus. Being present requires practice, and Cody encourages us to find the practices that resonate most with us, exploring movement, creativity, spiritual practice, being of service, and more. Themes of cultivating curiosity and devotion and letting go of perfectionism and people-pleasing are woven throughout.

Shifting our attention has profound power on how we experience ourselves and those around us. Cody writes, “This is my wish: that you feel less pull toward your screen and more pull toward your life.”