Is It Worth Your Attention?
In Episode 1 of Truth in Motion, I told you about an experiment I ran on myself. At the end of the day, I asked: Did I listen to a podcast today? Who was it? What was it about? What is one thing I'm going to do differently because of it?
Most days I couldn't answer even the first question. The information was interesting. It was entertaining. And it was gone.
But the time wasn't the only thing gone. So was my attention.
Attention is a currency
Every day, you spend your attention. Something receives it, whether you chose it or not. Every podcast, scroll, headline, and conversation is a transaction.
Like any transaction, it has a cost, and it should return value. The cost isn't only minutes. It's energy, focus, and mood. It's the space left over for what matters most: your body, your relationships, your prayer, your rest.
What does it give back?
So ask the honest questions. Did that leave me clearer, or more scattered? Did it give me hope, or anxiety? Is there one thing I'll do because of it? Information that isn't engaged passes right through, and you've still paid for it.
That's why this blog exists. The podcast offers the ideas. This is where you work with them. I'm asking of every episode: What should you walk away with? I'm inviting you to ask the same of everything that wants your attention, including me.
As you begin to notice where your attention goes, you'll find yourself choosing where it goes next.
Power is the ability to choose
I believe power comes from our ability to choose. Empowerment, then, is something specific. It isn't me telling you what to do. It's opening up more options than you knew you had, so you can choose well.
It's hard to choose something you don't know exists. So part of my job is to show you the options. Your part is to have the courage to weigh them: the risks, the potential benefits, and what fits your life and your family. That's informed consent. Not a signature on a form, but a way of thinking.
From "What does Dr. Jocelyn think?" to "Here's how I think about it"
My patients often tell their family, friends, and coworkers, "I'm going to ask Dr. Jocelyn about this." I love that trust. But my real goal is that someday you won't need to ask—as much 😉. You'll have a way to think it through. When something new shows up, a headline, a diagnosis, a supplement your neighbor swears by, you'll find yourself pausing and asking better questions before you decide.
That is what it means to become your own expert. Not knowing everything, but knowing how to evaluate what's in front of you.
The promise of process
I can't promise outcomes. No honest practitioner can. What I can promise is process: good questions, clear options, and a companion on the road. You decide what to apply. And as you begin to notice what's true for you, you can let that choice become easier.
So let's do the work. Below is this week's daily practice. Take ten minutes. Get a notebook. Write by hand if you can. Let yourself be curious about what you discover.
This Week's Practice
This Week, We Notice
Part of our journey this week is simply noticing. Noticing where your attention goes, who or what is commanding it, and what you walk away with.
Each day, pick three moments: a conversation, a show, a podcast, a scroll through social media, a chapter of a book. After each one, pause and ask:
Where did my attention just go?
Who or what was commanding it? Did I give it, or was it taken?
What did it cost me in time, energy, or mood?
What did I receive from that interaction?
Was it worth it?
Jot a line or two. That's all. Just notice, and let the noticing do its work.
Each evening, look back over the day. By the end of the week, you'll start to see the patterns you're ready to change.
Questions to Sit With
Don't rush these. Read one in the morning. Carry it through the day.
Where in my health have I handed my choice to someone else, and was that a choice too?
What would it feel like to trust my own judgment a little more this week?
Which voices get my attention, and how did they earn that place?
If I already knew how to think this through, what would my next step be?
I wonder how soon you'll begin to notice yourself choosing more freely, in small things first.
Then come back tomorrow for Episode 2, where we ask: What is a doctor? What is a patient? And why does it matter?
With you every step of the way,
Dr. Jocelyn
Listen to Truth in Motion Monday through Friday. Join the email list to get each episode and lesson in your inbox.
