FOCUS IS FERTILISER

A writer looks at using the power of focus to manifest benefits in daily life.

The central conceit of Brennan’s slim nonfiction book is the idea of employing passion and focus as fertilizer in order to prime the soil of daily life to grow the qualities each person wants. “Simply by being aware of where we place our focus, we can contribute to the reality we are growing,” she writes, “which is why focus is fertiliser.” A key to priming this process is shifting the need for external validation to internal confirmation and concentrating on the specific object in mind, then determining whether the focus involved is positive or negative. Finally, readers should examine the direction of the focus: Is it internal or external? Brennan advocates marshaling internal processes of attention, presence, and appreciation in order to build the concentration required to create this personal fertilizer. “If we focus on the object of our task—our success,” she writes, “we can demonstrate our passion and effectiveness, and others will believe our intentions.” The main problem Brennan addresses throughout is the risk of a disconnection between the inner self and the outer realities—hence, the vital need for focus. “If we are not connected to our self and the moment,” she writes, “we are not able to access our highest potential, which includes creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience.” The narrative the author presents is compassionate and warmly autobiographical; she stresses that it’s never been more important to be in the present moment than in the midst of Covid-19 and all its accompanying tensions. Readers unfamiliar with the whole subculture of “manifesting” will find some of Brennan’s assertions bewildering, as when she asserts that “the human brain does not understand the difference between positive and negative” or when she echoes the sentiment that “our experiences are the results of our thoughts and feelings.” But manifesting aficionados will find the author good company.

This fast-paced, upbeat call for concentrating on the positive should appeal to manifesting fans.