Has anyone ever accused you of being forgetful, easily distracted, or preoccupied? Do you ever find yourself wandering off in your mind, missing the moments right in front of you? Do you drift off into fantasyland when you’re bored with what you’re doing?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions—you may have been labeled by others, or even by yourself, as “absent-minded.” Of course, while there may be a medical or psychological condition causing you to have difficulty focusing and paying attention to the moment (e.g., you suffer from anxiety or attention-deficit disorder), more than likely you just experience a common condition of over-staying your level of interest when you’d rather being doing something else—that is, you’re bored! Hence, you get lost in your own mind scurrying about trying to stimulate your brain.
Now there’s hope for a positive twist on the far too negative label of “absent-minded.” Many years ago, while in graduate school, I came across a quote that has always stuck with me by William James who so aptly stated:
“I’m not absent-minded, I’m simply present-minded elsewhere.”
So, hopefully, the next time someone calls you out on not paying attention, you can set them straight with this short and sweet little quip!
