Coaching that helps responsible adults live and lead whole.
Focus: The Soul of Awareness
Ronald. S. Cava
1/31/20262 min read
We live in an age of relentless seeing. And yet, in seeing more, we may be seeing less.
From the moment we wake, our eyes are already at work—scanning headlines, checking notifications, noticing what needs attention and what demands response. Long before our feet touch the floor, our minds are already moving, pulled toward what feels urgent, troubling, or unfinished.
The problem is not that we see too much.
It is that we rarely choose what we are looking at.
Our eyes are remarkably capable. They constantly adjust, refocus, and interpret the world around us. But attention is not neutral. What we look at—again and again—quietly shapes how we feel, what we desire, and the stories we tell ourselves about our lives.
This is why Scripture speaks so often about sight. The Bible does not merely instruct us what to believe; it invites us to notice where we are looking. Are our eyes fixed on what gives life, or on what drains it? Are they drawn toward fear and distraction—or toward trust, beauty, and hope?
Most of us don’t lose our focus all at once. We lose it gradually. Bit by bit. Notification by notification. Worry by worry. Until one day we realize we feel scattered, reactive, and spiritually thin—and we’re not quite sure how we got there.
Before we try to fix our habits or eliminate distractions, something more basic is required: awareness. And awareness begins with focus.
We often think of focus as concentration—trying harder, blocking distractions, or disciplining ourselves to stay on task. But focus, in its deeper sense, is not about effort. It is about placement. Where we place our attention determines what we are able to see.
When our attention is scattered, awareness becomes shallow. We react instead of reflect. We move quickly, but not always wisely. Life begins to feel rushed and noisy, as though we are constantly responding but rarely choosing.
But when we gently choose where to focus—when we pause long enough to notice what has our attention—awareness begins to grow. Patterns emerge. Emotions make more sense. What once felt like a blur starts to come into view.
This is the quiet power of focus. Not that it makes us more productive, but that it makes us more aware.
And awareness matters.
Heightened awareness does not solve every problem, but it gives us something just as important: choice. When we are aware, we can begin to see what consistently drains us and what quietly gives us life. We notice the triggers behind our reactions and the stories we repeat to ourselves.
Without awareness, these forces operate in the background, shaping our lives without our consent. With awareness, we gain freedom—not instant answers, but clearer ones. Not perfect control, but wiser direction. We begin to live less on autopilot and more with intention.
In coaching, this is often the turning point. Before strategies, goals, or action plans, there is a quieter shift—the moment someone sees themselves clearly and says, “Now I understand what’s been happening.” That moment opens the door to change.
The Focus Check is designed to support this kind of awareness. It is not a productivity tool or a spiritual scorecard. It is a simple weekly practice for noticing where your attention has been placed—and what that attention has been shaping in you.
Please request a printable one-page version of The Focus Check using my contact page.
If this reflection resonates, I send one quiet question by email every week or two—an invitation to keep noticing what’s stirring beneath the surface.