“..those soul-satisfying feelings quickly capture our attention, and we no longer wish to pay attention to physical clues. Instead, our focus is on the immense satisfaction the feelings are providing.”

“If we have forgotten our total dependency upon God, then there is nothing left for us but to try to depend upon other people’s attention to us, because without such attention we don’t even feel like human beings. Instead of paying attention to God, we become beggars for the attention of others, constantly trying to make them pity us or look up to us. But this is not true human relatedness, only mutual idolatry.”

“If your skin is crawling, pay attention. If something doesn’t feel right, pay attention. If the hairs on the back of your neck prickle, if your gut clenches up, if a wave of wrongness washes over you, if your heart starts beating faster, pay, pay, pay attention. Do not second-guess yourself or rationalize anything that impedes your safety. Our instincts are the animal inside of our humanness, warning us of danger.”

“She said things and I nodded. I didn't pay attention. She didn't pay attention to me. We floated through our days in that way.”

“Feelings can only be hidden so long from those who really pay attention. page 141”

“Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention.”