Focus. Breathe. Think.
Most people go through life with their attention scattered amongst dozens of objects, ideas, or people. I'm one of them. I find that, no matter where I am, I'm almost never focused on just one thing. Obviously, the main distraction for my generation is what you're doing right now -- being on the Internet. Endless possibilities and updates from your friends and celebrities at your fingertips. When you're trying to do homework, your brain shifts every once and a while to consider checking Facebook or whatever website you're addicted to. But it's not just the Internet. It's your thoughts about the future when you're talking to someone, it's your multitasking when you eat and read at the same time. That's not always a bad thing, but I think that having your attention so scattered and distracted makes you miss contemplating on the important things in life. Your attention, your mind is constantly being presented with different stimuli and ideas that oftentimes the significant things get no attention at all.
When was the last time that you stopped for a moment and simply focused on one important thought? Just one, long enough for you to actually get somewhere. And by important, I mean a thought that presents a problem and tries to get a resolution. I mean a thought that will change something other than just the temporary situations in your life.
When was the last time you thought about what your purpose in life could be, and didn't get distracted degrading yourself or thinking about the last interesting thing you did? When was the last time you sat down and thought about your future and your plans, realistically and logically? When was the last time you thought deeply about the troubles of the world and what you could do about it? When was the last time you stopped and asked yourself what you could do in your life that would make things better for others? When did you last sit down, take a deep breath, and think?
