Yogananda tells us, “Think of God always.” At one level, he is telling us to stay awake, to be consciously focused. Such focus is crucial because what we concentrate on concentrates on us; whatever we attend to attends to us; whatever we gaze into gazes into us. Both perception and life itself work in this way: if we are preoccupied with darkness, we become dark. If we are preoccupied with fear, we become fearful. By contrast, if we focus on truth, beauty, and goodness, these supernal qualities flood our lives to divinize us. Recently, I had to make a visit to a local Walmart store. I was tired and hot, and the lines were long. I could feel my mood darkening. So I chose to notice with gratitude the material abundance in the store. I chose to celebrate the diversity of people in the store as unique expressions of a singular divinity. As you can imagine, my mood became lighter; my heart opened and joy visited me. As you move through your day, notice what you are noticing, notice your intention, and make an enlightened adjustment if you need to.
Beloved, help me to remember:
Whatever I focus on
Focuses back on me.
