I feel compelled to write about clarity because I have struggled to see situations for what they really are. I know how damaging it is to live with falsehoods and denial. Weak boundaries can be equally harmful. It has taken effort and a commitment to learning to change my beliefs and behaviors because for many years, I struggled to see myself and my worth clearly. I lived with negative self-talk and false narratives about myself that were crippling.   

These experiences shaped my understanding of clarity, not just as a concept but as a vital tool for personal growth. As I began to confront my own negative self-talk and false narratives, I realized how much my perspective has been clouded. I had been programmed to see myself under a very narrow and negative lens, although I had moments of greatness. I was great at sports and won major competitions and was featured in the local news regularly. People showed me respect and were supportive of me and my pursuits. This made me start to realize that I was more than my negative thoughts. 

I wanted to understand the world around me to figure out what was wrong with me. I soon discovered that there was nothing inherently wrong with me, I was the product of my environment and with greater clarity and understanding, I could change my life. I started to gain clarity about who I was and where I came from, and that is when I changed the trajectory of my life. I went as far away from the environment of my childhood to gain perspective and to create a life where I had self-agency. I had the power to look beyond the scripts and guilt and shame, and I could choose how I wanted to experience life. 

Today, I will try to see the world as it is.  This is getting harder with all the distractions that cloud our mind through persuasion and manipulation.  We are bombarded with more information than the human brain can handle, which has led to a significant mental health crisis and deterioration of society.   We live in dangerous times because we cannot see facts from fiction and our survival depends on our ability to make clear and concise decisions.  Decisions based on falsehoods are dangerous, and they are leading to a path of destruction both spiritually, physically and environmentally. 

In the United States we were promised progress but what we see is control, lies and distortions so vast, a person can start to lose track of what is real. Considering these challenges, the need for clarity has never been greater. By reclaiming our minds, we can resist the forces that look to obscure reality and weaken our well-being and sense of genuine community. 

Since experiencing the pandemic lock downs, social strife, inflation spikes, ongoing global wars, and the continuation of the technological evolution including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ever-present algorithm categorize and influence our daily lives, it has been hard to find clarity on a personal level, but possible.  

My Attention is my Weapon! 

How many times have you caught yourself scrolling mindlessly only to realize that you just wasted your time when you could have been doing something meaningful. The currents we are facing are so strong, yet we still have control over ourselves and can choose to be passive participants drifting in a manipulative sea of content or we can try to support our personal sovereignty by keeping focus and clarity about our value and purpose in life. 

Clarity gives us the freedom to live authentically, to connect meaningfully, and to recognize our power to regulate ourselves to shape our own lives. Even in turbulent times, our ability to focus, reflect, and see things as they are, is still our greatest strength. The choice to pursue clarity is an act of courage and it is one we can make every day. 

Our attention and emotions are commodities because they are being packaged, priced, and sold in the form of data in a digital marketplace. Technology has made attention and emotional responses measurable because platforms can collect data on our clicks, likes, dislikes, scrolling habits, and pauses to create psychological profiles. Most of us know that this is happening, but we still have trouble stopping because of the dopamine rewards that keep us engaged longer. So, as we continue to scroll, our valuable attention being used by content creators, algorithms, advertisers, government agencies and other interested actors like political strategists, retailers, and other business sector leaders learn to appeal to our wants, needs, and desires. We are feeding the beast that manipulates us.   

As our choices are measured, they are also influenced by the content that the algorithms present to us. If a person believes in small government over larger federal governments, algorithms will feed them more information to keep them engaged reinforcing the beliefs by triggering emotions that keep them distracted and unable to take time to come up with a fair and balanced opinion on the topic. The constant reinforcement about an idea can narrow a person’s world view and make them more reactive to emotional triggers. There is a middle ground where people learn to understand each other.   

Clarity has become my lifeline. It’s what helped me break free from the negative scripts I carried for years and finally see myself for who I am not just the product of my environment, but someone with agency and worth. Even now, when the world feels overwhelming and noisy, I remind myself that I have the power to choose what I focus on and how I interpret my experiences. 

Every day, I try to pause, reflect, and ask myself what’s real and what’s just noise. Sometimes it’s hard, but I know that my attention is my weapon, and I want to use it to build a life that feels true to me.  If you’re struggling to find clarity, know that you’re not alone.

Protect your attention and treat it as your most valuable resource. Choose what you focus on, question the narratives you encounter, and make space for honest self-reflection.