Focus

focus is a skill. self-awareness is a skill. being non-reactive is a skill. conscious breathing is a skill. consistency is a skill. controlling your impulses is a skill. observance is a skill.

a skill is not mastered through willpower alone, by simply deciding that, from now on, you have it. skills are acquired through effort, through trial and error, through policing of one's actions. you're going to fumble, trip and fall on your face often while learning these skills; it does not mean they are unachievable, or that you're failing at them: it means you're learning.

when you falter, pick yourself up, assess your mistake, and stay tuned for the next opportunity to try again, as many times as it takes until you feel that rush of "wow. I got it!". absolutely nothing fruitful comes from sitting around moping about how you're not there yet.