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One moment it was there; the next, lost.
Focus. Such an elusive entity, flitting in and out of existence like a candle‘s flame in a summer storm.
Focus. That that flows nimbly from fingers to keyboard for minutes, even hours at a time. Words appear on the screen as if thoughts transfer directly from brain to palette. Colors emerging on the whiteness as if painting themselves, layering their spirits into sentences and paragraphs and windows into souls. Lives creating substance in front of eyes watching miracles radiate from the depths of nothingness, becoming whole, entire, complete. Flesh animating from one dimension to two to three…to more. Zen pouring out into words, which become mirrors into inner consciousness.
And then a sneeze and the focus is gone.
I try to relight the flame but the candle doesn’t burn again. A flicker, a whisper, and then nothing.
Focus. Such an elusive entity.
David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, due out in late July 2017. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.
Hot White Snow 
My focus happens around dawn.
Make the coffee get the animals fed.
Pour out thoughts for a few hours.
Then it is lost.
So go do something physical.
But what I’m really interested in is what goes on in sleep. As I get older, I think that is a place where problem solving occurs. Kinda creepy.
But considering the fun of both focus and sleep……
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I’ve tried to set a time of day but it hasn’t worked for me. And sleep is as elusive these days as focus. 🙂
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It is clear to me that genuine sleep is different from drug induced sleep. Perhaps not quite the right words.
Nevertheless, I think that there is a complex balance of neurotransmitters.
Not nearly as complex as politicians.
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I’m not sure how or if politicians sleep. One wonders how some of them can live with themselves.
My issue with sleep (and focus) is that my brain doesn’t seem to have an off switch. It keeps rattling on in multiple directions at once. Only two things work to help me focus:
1) reading (if I can get into a book my mind can focus in on the story)
2) a firm deadline (nothing like knowing you won’t get paid if you miss the deadline)
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Concur.
There might be some cultural or hereditary basis for worry. My Dad was always the guy that was ready 2 hours before the deadline…sitting in the car revving the engine.
I tend to awake an hour before the alarm goes off that I set the night before. I don’t know how that works….but I still set the alarm.
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