My focus word this week is “fascinating”. We tend to reserve that word for things that attract or intrigue us. Fractals, for example, with their never ending patterns, grab our attention and hold it. “They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.”(1) Think about that for a moment. That is certainly intriguing.
Life on the Planet
But really, isn’t life on the planet fascinating at every turn? Fractals are not the only never ending patterns. The earth going around the sun, the cycle of water from ocean to sky to land, and the cycles of plants living, dying, and providing compost for new plants are also intriguing.
Choosing Fascination with Discomfort
And on a more practical level, I’m noticing that I can choose to be fascinated even when life is uncomfortable. It gives me a place to “stand” in a way and be mindful and attentive.
Discomfort comes in all kinds of shapes an sizes. Physical discomfort of any kind from headaches to muscle pain can be met with a fascinated attentiveness. It’s not that we don’t take action to get rid of the pain, but in the meantime we can practice mindful awareness.
Interacting with others can be endlessly fascinating, like fractals. Other people’s behaviors can be triggering, amusing, scary, and just confusing at times. And again, it’s not that we don’t try to address issues and solve problems, but I think remembering to be fascinated by life and other humans can provide a good coping strategy.
So I decided fascinating will be my focus word for the week. I hope to be able to use it in good situations as well as bad, but I think it will definitely give me an anchor in uncomfortable situations and I can choose to be fascinated. 
If you’d like more information on my weekly focus word mindfulness experiment click here.
Resources
(1) Fractal Foundation – for more fascinating information on fractals
