Attention to Detail

When a person goes into a job interview, a highly coveted skill on a resume would be if the interviewee could claim they have fine attention to detail.  It's not something every person is born with, but imagine how this skill might be important.

Imagine the heart surgeon who does not know how to pay attention to details.
The mechanic that cannot pay attention to details.
The book editor who cannot pay attention to details.
The drunk driver who cannot pay attention to details.
The drug maker who does not pay attention to fine details.
The spelling bee competitor who cannot pay attention to details.
The mathematician who does not pay attention to details.

There are a wide variety of details that we can or cannot pay attention to in our lives.  Keeping focus on one thing at a time is something that we are hard wired to do, but the detail with which we focus is always variable, depending on a myriad of things.

For some, it could be interest level that keeps or displaces our focus.  For others, it's brain chemistry, or sometimes brain damage or excess growth.  For others, it's simply time and energy, for if these are lacking, sometimes the other factors don't even matter.

I, for one, have special arenas where I am good at keeping focus, and others where I am not.  As a young girl, I was criticized for always being late.  So I have fine attention to time ever since, however it is still difficult for me to show up places on time.  Many of the involved factors have little to do with me personally, but I can always find ways to improve in arriving on time.

I am also good at caring about how to spell people's name.  My first name is Jennifer, so this can be hard, as there are even multiple ways to spell this as a nickname.  Jen, Jenn, Jenni, Jenny, Jennie.  But don't get me started on my last name.  Inevitably no matter where I go, it is spelled wrong.  My children will receive certificates of completion or other awards, and it is a rare occurrence to have it spelled correctly.  It's gotten to the point where I laugh about it and rarely bother to correct anyone, but I also notice that whoever is spelling it has not paid attention to detail.

One detail that I notice increasingly is eye contact.  Also in an interview, eye contact is crucial.  I tease my husband because he has an extremely hard time looking anyone in the eye for more than a moment at a time.  He is more comfortable looking away from me during a conversation, than directly at me.  Why?  No idea.

I also notice this at church.  Growing up in a small town, I knew everyone's name at church.  Walking down the hall, I took great enjoyment in being able to say hello to everyone, and having them look me in the eye.  There were probably only a few exceptions to this, and it was probably the cute-ish boys that I was too awkward to say hello to.  Beyond that, I knew everyone, and for the most part, we greeted one another.

Now, I know almost everyone still, but it's a crap-shoot to know if those walking past me will look me in the eye and say hello.  It's not just in my growing ward, but in my previous ward as well.  The church is growing larger, however I don't know if it's because we just don't have time to get to know everyone, or the lack of caring to express basic greetings or recognition of one another.  I suppose sometimes it's because we don't want to get to know everyone, or perhaps we don't want to have the chance to be stopped for communication.  So we put on the blank stare and carry on walking down the hall with tunnel vision.

But the commandment is to love God, and then love our neighbor as ourselves.  If we don't have capacity to look people in the eye and simply say hello, what does it say about how we love them?  If we don't have the care, concern, or capacity to love others, even for a moment in a greeting, what does that say about how comfortable we are with ourselves?  Do we love ourselves?  Do we consider God's love for us?  Are we willing to look at ourselves with such detail?  Is it uncomfortable?  Why?  Is it possible we'll find things we don't like, and don't know how to address or overcome them?

(photo source)

We can compare just about anything in life to an iceberg.  In this case, I'll compare our weaknesses to one.  We see a small piece of ice above water (liken it to ourselves), but a giant piece of us is hidden underwater.  As it's hidden, it may be hard to recognize that it's even there, much less take a moment to examine it.  If we consider that the unknown areas might contain hidden weaknesses, what does it take to examine it in full, to help those weaknesses to be rectified?

Christ says

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27)

As in all things, Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, the light.  To get to the Father, we must examine our faults, our weaknesses, and apply Christ's grace.  For it is sufficient for those who will humble themselves.  It's like an equation.  Jesus' grace + our humility = strength through Christ to ourselves.  
What are your weaknesses?  Do you dare take them to Christ?  

In Other Words

In Alma 32, Alma is talking to the poor of the Zoramites.  He addresses their humility, and willingness to learn.

In many discussions on this chapter, verse 16 is the highlight, and we learn it is better to not need to be compelled to be humble.  We ought to humble ourselves willingly.  But there's more to the verse which is noteworthy.

Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.

"In other words."  Alma gives us a way to understand what will make us blessed, or another way to interpret what humility IS.  I often think that humility is removal of pride, and bringing oneself low to the dust.  Another way to look at it is believing IN the word of God.  I suppose that's a bit more than just believing the word to be true, but also believing enough such that ones life is truly in harmony with the word.  Taking upon oneself baptism without having to know all the details.  Or being forced to know.  But simply being willing to walk into pure, living water, be cleansed, and come out refined.  Yea, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.   

Humility vs. Self Hate

In the last few days I have been awakened to the idea that humility is NOT self hate, self loathing, self destruction, or self criticism.  It does not mean endless self abuse, despite knowing that we are unprofitable creatures.  Humility involves becoming childlike, which means to be meek, submissive, teachable, and willing to submit to God, just as a child submits to his father. (Mosiah 3)  I have been taught there is a gaping difference between the two.  

It is a fine line to discover, and a very deceptive trap to misunderstand, when the hater of our souls deposits filth into our being via lies.  Self hate comes from the Adversary, and actually prohibits us from hearing God.  Cast it out of your souls.

Humility, on the other hand, permits us to draw nearer to God.  It creates a wide open space for learning, which can be filled with non-toxic, ever abundant Love.  Invite God to fill it. 

The Less I Know

Have you ever felt like by learning more, you find out you know less?

A long time in my life I presumed everything was as I thought it was.  People testify and know all the answers, and I generally trusted everyone, that their intentions were good, and I could put my money where their mouth was.  I could trust people to be worth trusting with my heart, mind and soul.  Often lately, this has proven to me my naivete, and I try to prevent myself from becoming jaded.  All the jaded people I've ever met seemed desperately sad and hopeless.  And cruel on top of it.

Tonight I read some information that makes me feel a little more jaded.  A little less trusting, and a little more frustrated.  I found that the more I learned, the more I found out I didn't know anything.  I was wrong.

I really have appreciated reading the works of Denver Snuffer.  I don't know if he's right on half of what he writes, but I appreciate his effort, as well as his effort at humility.  It has taught me much, including that sometimes being humbled is the only way to learn.  The LORD wants no part of pride.  He prefers us humble.  Being humbled is probably the fastest, and often the most enduring way to learn.  Today I read this post of Snuffer's.  His observation of Joseph Smith's thoughts on friends has become a litmus test for me.  I wonder if Joseph felt humbled at learning some of these same lessons.  I am very grateful for both of these men, and hope to keep learning from them.  Joseph was a great prophet, and I appreciate Snuffer's insights on him.

That said...

The more I learn, the more I find I know less than I ever thought.