Distractions

I'm prone to think of "distraction" as an inherently negative word. Distractions steal focus, cloud vision, and prohibit you from reaching goals. They are unwelcome in all areas of life. They should be recognized, roped in, and repressed quickly to avoid negative consequences of giving in to them. To be distracted is to be tricked into focusing your energy and attention on something less important that what you should be doing.

Is that really true? I honestly have thought that way before, but I believe my opinion might be shifting. It seems to me that distractions can be beneficial. At least they can provide encouragement, comfort, even growth if you let them. In that case, then, I suppose they aren't really distractions but enhancers.

Today I was enjoying time just sitting by a lake and reading, soaking up the glorious Indian Summers we get in BC. As much as I love the book I'm reading, I found myself distracted by the stunning scenery and the variety of birds surrounding the premises. Great Blue Heron, Kingfishers, Canada Geese... every time I saw movement I couldn't keep my eyes from drifting off the page and settling on the birds. Distraction flocked around me and trumped the pleasure I found in reading my book. As I was leaving though, I reconsidered my view of these "distractions." At first they kept me from engaging fully in what I had originally intended (reading my book), but they enhanced the overall experience of my time at the lake. They did take away time and focus from my book, but they replaced that with different enjoyment than I would have experienced otherwise.  

I wonder what other "distractions" will be shaped into "enhancers" in my life. Time spent with friends and family can keep me from engaging in my schoolwork, but that quality time with others can potentially impact my life greater than my homework will, or enhance it. On the other hand, dedication to what I'm studying can positively influence my worldview even though it might distract me from calling home or taking a walk with a friend. So how do you decide if a distraction is really a distraction or not? I honestly don't have an answer... but I don't think it's necessarily important to find one. What matters more is having a willingness to set aside preconceived notions and embrace the potential every distraction has for enhancing your life. (At the same time, it's probably not best to use that as an excuse to avoid doing what you know you should be doing but don't want to do, if that makes any sense. It's easy to swing too far on the other side of the pendulum, but I'd rather not get into that haha).

Basically, I'm learning to reevaluate my use of yet another word. By embracing a "distraction," perhaps I will find my life enhanced by something even greater.