Some time ago, I was asked to give a presentation to a group of problem gamblers and accompanying family members, all of whom were participating in an outpatient treatment program in Fargo, North Dakota called Gamblers Choice.  I have provided consultation to the program for over thirty years but had not done so for the past two years because of my move to Mexico and the covid epidemic. I had been pondering what to share with them until the morning of the presentation when rather abruptly something arose into my awareness.  What arose was “The Five Truths.”  I quickly wrote them down as each truth followed the next one sequentially.  Except for some minor editing, this is what came to me.

1. Attention is the most powerful element in human interaction.
2. Deliberate, sustained attention equals intention which is the most powerful expression of attention.
3. What you pay the most attention to is what you cherish.
4. What you cherish shapes your life, and there are only two choices: a) form or b) content.  Anything perishable, changeable, or exclusive is form.  Anything eternal, unchangeable, and inclusive is content.
5. If you cherish form, life will make no sense.  If you cherish content, life will make sense.  

What is Truth?

This is a quintessential question throughout human history, and I am boldly offering you my definition.  I define truth as an indisputable, unchangeable, and unchanging, statement about human existence.  Do these five truths fit this definition?  Let us proceed so you can make your own decision.

What is Attention?

Simply put, attention is self-awareness. What is most amazing about attention for humans is that it provides us with an endless number of possible choices.  Think about what you are experiencing at this moment.  You can choose to continue to pay attention to reading this article, or you can pay attention to your growling stomach telling you that you are hungry.  Or, your cell phone could ring which gives you yet another stimulus to pay attention to.  We are constantly being bombarded by stimuli calling for our attention.  Whatever you choose to pay attention to has its own unique outcome.  When and where to stream our attention is truly the only thing we can control.

Why Is Intention So Powerful?

Deliberate, focused, sustained attention is targeting your awareness toward something–a thought, a person, an activity, a belief, an interest, or anything else.  Once you infuse something with your energy you experience an emotion which then triggers action.  Intentional action can build or destroy, unify or divide, heal or injure, expand or contract depending on what the underlying motivation is.  The pyramids were built with intention as was the extermination of 6 million Jews by the Hitlerian regime.  Without intention very little of significance gets accomplished.

What Do You Pay Attention To?

This is probably one of the most important questions you can ask yourself.  Given that attention is the only thing we can freely give and control, it is of the utmost importance to pay attention to what you pay attention to.  This brings us to the fourth truth.  Do you predominantly devote your attention to form or content?  ( See “Cherish Is the Word”)  Some examples of form are material possessions, fame, adulation, sensory stimulation, power, the preservation and enhancement of the body, and so on.  None of these pursuits are necessarily bad.  What matters is the degree to which you become attached to them, because, in the end, all forms change, deteriorate, disappear and/or die culminating in pain, disillusionment, anger, and loss.  On the other hand, paying attention to content such as gratitude, forgiveness, creativity, tranquility, generosity, kindness, service, and love are everlasting and raise the consciousness of each individual and all of humanity.

Is Life Bewildering to You?

We now arrive at the fifth truth.  Initially, when I was writing down these truths, I began the fifth truth with, “If you cherish form, life will be difficult,” and was going to follow with, “If you cherish content, life will be easy.”  However, right away I knew that last statement was false.  Even if you cherish content, life may still be challenging and difficult.  There is no guarantee, no matter what you do or do not do, that life will be easy.  But if you cherish content, life will make sense to you, no matter what happens.  Why?  Because if you can discern the difference between content and form, you understand the purpose and meaning of life.  You absolutely know what really matters.  Jesus put it this way,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.   —Matthew, Chapter 6, 19-21

If you have ever lost most or all of your possessions to war or natural disasters like flooding, fire, earthquake, hurricane, volcanic eruption, or some other phenomenon, you know this fifth truth already.  Initially of course, when this happens there is a tremendous sense of loss, confusion, bewilderment, and anger, but in the end, most people realize that life itself is what is most precious and love is everlasting!  At that moment, everything makes sense, and you are filled with deep peace.

Is Life Fearful to You?

If you have numerous psychological fears such as fears of failure, loss, death, embarrassment, being alone, abandonment, rejection or other various unnamed fears, can these five truths help you?  If you embrace them and incorporate them into your belief system, these truths can help you in the short and long term.  For example, in the short term, let us say you have an important exam soon.  You become aware you are very anxious about failing this exam and continually think about it.  With this awareness, you realize you are paying most of your attention to these thoughts, and remember you can control your attention.  By remembering this truth, you now have empowered yourself with many options.  You can decide to direct your attention to studying more so you feel prepared for the exam.  You can decide you have studied enough and direct your attention to something else like a good movie, calling a friend, listening to music, or any other activity that absorbs your attention.  If the fearful thoughts return, you remind yourself that these are just thoughts, you have not failed the exam, you are well prepared (assuming you have studied!), and again choose to redirect your attention.

In psychology, we call this approach cognitive/behavioral therapy which research has shown to be one of the most effective approaches to eliminate psychological fears.  The cognitive component is your awareness and belief that you control your attention.  The behavioral component is taking action to direct your attention as you choose.  By continuing to practice, you are learning a new skill set which becomes enormously empowering and highly effective in the long term.  Remember, the second truth is that focused attention leads to intention which is the most powerful expression of attention and can move mountains.  So, the first two truths embolden you immediately to begin facing your fears.  How are the last three truths useful?

A Foundation of Truth

Jesus, the Truthsayer of all truth sayers, spoke these words.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rains fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell–and great was its fall!  (Matthew 7, verses 24-27.)

By building a foundation of truth (a system of valid beliefs), you stand strong in the face of all manner of adversity because you have clarity, resourcefulness, certainty, and faith.  Let us examine these last three truths to see how they are cornerstones for building a foundation of truth.

What you pay the most attention to is what you cherish.

When I realized that attention superseded thinking and all other cognitive functions, I felt a surge of excitement, empowerment, and optimism. I immediately felt less fearful knowing that I could control my attention, and what I chose to pay attention to shaped the quality of my life,  This prompted me to notice what I was paying attention to, and this led to many new insights regarding what I overvalued, what I undervalued, and how I behaved.  I started to reevaluate and realign my priorities to fit what worked for me to be happy, productive, creative, and peaceful, AND what fostered harmony, goodwill, kindness, and generosity toward the world around me. This flow away from fearfulness is immediately accessible once you accept this truth!

What you cherish shapes your life, and there are only two choices: a) form or b) content.  Anything perishable, changeable, or exclusive is form.  Anything eternal, unchangeable, and inclusive is content.

Your path to fearlessness is cleared of obstacles, pitfalls, and detours when this truth becomes a foundational belief in your belief system because it enables you to distinguish form from content. I assure you that all fear stems from cherishing form.  This is because form is uncontrollable, and whenever you try to control the uncontrollable, you are afraid.  Here is an example.  When I was a Navy psychologist stationed at the Marine Corps Training and Education Command in Quantico, Virginia, a commanding officer sent me a cadet who was in training.  The commanding officer told me the cadet had good potential, but was floundering to the point he would fail the training program.  When the young, aspiring lieutenant arrived at my office, I immediately saw he was very anxious.  He confessed to being afraid of failing his training and destroying his lifelong dream of becoming a Marine Corps officer.  I asked him to explain. Wringing his hands and stammering, he revealed he felt inferior to the other trainees.  They were all watching him and laughing at his struggles.  I asked, “Why are they paying so much attention to you?  Are you some special person, maybe some celebrity incognito?  Is the training so easy for everyone else that they are watching you?”  He sheepishly admitted, “No.”  I said, “I’m sure you’re right.  The other candidates are up to their asses in alligators just like you are.”  He laughed.  I said, “What the other candidates are thinking is their business, not yours!   Does it matter what they think?”   Smiling, he nodded and said, “Not really.”  I then explained to him that he was paying too much attention to what others thought about him, rather than attending to the demands and challenges of the training.  I told him to go back and start paying attention to what mattered most.  (A few weeks later I heard from his commanding officer who thanked me and told me the candidate completed his training graduating in the top half of his class.)

This young man was attending to form.  He cherished other people’s opinions of him.  Is that controllable?  No!  Are people’s opinions changing and changeable? Yes!

If you cherish form, life will make no sense.  If you cherish content, life will make sense.

The fifth truth brings the accumulative power of the previous truths and adds another stone to your foundation of truth.  For millennia philosophers, theologians, saints, and sages have attempted to understand and explain all the pain, chaos, instability, and futility in this world. (See my article “What In the World?”)  This truth answers that question and paves the way to becoming a fearless person.  Why?  Because if you know that all pain, loss, illness, suffering, disappointment, conflict, and cruelty stems from one source – cherishing form!  Remember, anything perishable, changing, changeable, temporary, or exclusive is form.

You might be wondering “What about relationships?  Shouldn’t we cherish family and our closest friends?”  The answer is yes, but not their physical presence.  Bodies get sick, age, and die. If you cherish bodies, your own and others, you will be afraid.  What do you cherish then?  You cherish the light, energy, essence, or spirit that enlivens the body!  None of these fade, decay, suffer or die. They are all indivisible, indestructible, and eternal.  They are content. Those of you who have lost loved ones, and most everyone has or will, know the “love” remains within you and into the next generations!  Of course, you miss their physical presence, and adjusting to their absence takes time, but you know their energy is with you forever.

Be Fearless

Ancient, invalid beliefs, collective and individual, die hard because humanity continues to cherish them despite the repetitive and painful outcomes they bring.  The world desperately needs truly fearless people who harmonize, elevate, heal, reassure, and unite.  Build your foundation, your belief system, on truth.  Become one of them.