--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mindfulness means being aware of how…" description: "\"Mindfulness means being aware of how you're deploying your attention and making decisions about it, and not letting the tweet or the buzzing of your Bl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/howard-rheingold-2794_attention_mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you_1255962.png" --- # Mindfulness means being aware of how you're deploying your… ![“Mindfulness means being aware of how you're deploying your attention and making decisions about it, and not letting the tweet or the buzzing of your BlackBerry call your attention.” quote by Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/howard-rheingold-2794_attention_mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you_1255962.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/howard-rheingold-2794_attention_mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you_1255962.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/howard-rheingold-2794_attention_mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you_1255962.png) > “Mindfulness means being aware of how you're deploying your attention and making decisions about it, and not letting the tweet or the buzzing of your BlackBerry call your attention.” [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mindfulness is directing attention deliberately and resisting constant digital distractions. **In simple terms:** Control attention, avoid distraction. Key Takeaway Practice intentional focus daily. Themes attention technology self‑control Mood aware calm Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - working - social media - studying - meetings - creative tasks Key Concepts digital hygiene cognitive awareness decision making Questions to Reflect On - How do you notice when attention drifts? - What tools help you protect focus? A Different Perspective Constant notifications can still hijack focus despite intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Aware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aware/) [Blackberries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackberries/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Deploying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deploying/) [Deploying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deploying-attention-3975566/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Making decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-decision/) [Making decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-decisions/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Means Aware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-aware-441148/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) [Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness/) [Mindfulness Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness-means-728000/) [Tweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tweet/) ## Related quotes > [“Paranoid means you are aware of 10% of the problem”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oran-kangas/paranoid-means-you-are-aware-of-10-of-the-problem/) [Oran Kangas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oran-kangas/) > [“Being mindful means being aware of everything and certain of nothing”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-t-behary/being-mindful-means-being-aware-of-everything-and-certain-of-nothing/) [Wendy T. Behary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-t-behary/) > [“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. In this state of god-like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-aim-of-life-is-to-live-and-to-live-means-to-be-aware-joyously-2/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Mindfulness means that as we go through the day we learn to gain control of our mind, our emotions. We learn to conserve energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/mindfulness-means-that-as-we-go-through-the-day-we-learn-to-gain/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-means-being-awake-it-means-knowing-what-you-are-doing/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Mindfulness is Buddha's word for meditation. By mindfulness he means: you should always remain alert, watchful. You should always remain present. Not a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/mindfulness-is-buddha-s-word-for-meditation-by-mindfulness-he-means/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/mindfulness-means-maintaining-a-moment-by-moment-awareness-of-our/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Every moment of mindfulness means the gradual destruction of latent defilements. It is somewhat like cutting away a piece of wood with a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahasi-sayadaw/every-moment-of-mindfulness-means-the-gradual-destruction-of-latent/) [Mahasi Sayadaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahasi-sayadaw/) > [“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally,” writes Kabat-Zinn. “This kind of attention nurtures greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-schwalbe/mindfulness-means-paying-attention-in-a-particular-way-on-purpose-in/) [Will Schwalbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-schwalbe/) > [The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/the-best-way-to-capture-moments-is-to-pay-attention-this-is-how-we/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“Practicing mindfulness means monitoring, in real time, your experience, and doing so in a nonjudgmental way (Kabat-Zinn, 1994).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-jennings/practicing-mindfulness-means-monitoring-in-real-time-your-experience/) [Patricia A. Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-jennings/) > [Mindfulness needs to not be judgmental to really be mindfulness, which means it needs a basis of loving kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/mindfulness-needs-to-not-be-judgmental-to-really-be-mindfulness-which/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [“Mindfulness means paying attention to what is happening at this very moment and being keenly aware of your surroundings and the people in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/mindfulness-means-paying-attention-to-what-is-happening-at-this-very/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-means-moment-to-moment-non-judgmental-awareness-it-is/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-means-paying-attention-in-a-particular-way-on-purpose-in-2/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## More by Howard Rheingold > [Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-a-limited-resource-so-pay-attention-to-where-you-pay/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [What person doesn't search online about their disease after they are diagnosed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/what-person-doesn-t-search-online-about-their-disease-after-they-are/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [You can't pick up the telephone and say, 'Connect me with someone else who has a kid with leukemia.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/you-can-t-pick-up-the-telephone-and-say-connect-me-with-someone-else/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [We like technology because we don't have to talk to anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/we-like-technology-because-we-don-t-have-to-talk-to-anybody/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Attention is the fundamental instrument we use for learning, thinking, communicating, deciding, yet neither parents nor schools spend any time helping young people learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-the-fundamental-instrument-we-use-for-learning-thinking/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [One thing we didn't know in 1996 is that it's very, very difficult, if not impossible, to sustain a culture with online advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/one-thing-we-didn-t-know-in-1996-is-that-it-s-very-very-difficult-if/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Any virtual community that works, works because people put in some time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/any-virtual-community-that-works-works-because-people-put-in-some-time/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [There actually are buildings that existed in cyberspace before they built it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-actually-are-buildings-that-existed-in-cyberspace-before-they/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [The world is restructuring, and all of the enemies that used to exist are kind of gone, so now they are looking out for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/the-world-is-restructuring-and-all-of-the-enemies-that-used-to-exist/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Kerouac was this kid who exemplified something happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/kerouac-was-this-kid-who-exemplified-something-happening/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Of course, with agriculture came the first big civilizations, the first cities built of mud and brick, the first empires. And it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/of-course-with-agriculture-came-the-first-big-civilizations-the-first/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Its not a global village, but we're in a highly interconnected globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/its-not-a-global-village-but-we-re-in-a-highly-interconnected-globe/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [People's behavior will change with technology. I know very few young people who can't type out a text message on their phone with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/people-s-behavior-will-change-with-technology-i-know-very-few-young/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [I'm somebody who seems to stumble into things 10 or 20 years before the rest of the world does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/i-m-somebody-who-seems-to-stumble-into-things-10-or-20-years-before/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [There are always a few people who are hyper-normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-are-always-a-few-people-who-are-hyper-normal/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) [Explore all 150 Howard Rheingold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mindfulness means being aware of how you're deploying your attention and making decisions about it, and not letting the tweet or the buzzing of your BlackBerry call your attention.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Howard Rheingold" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you-re-deploying-your-attention/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you-re-deploying-your-attention/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/howard-rheingold-2794_attention_mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you_1255962.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/howard-rheingold-2794_attention_mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you_1255962.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/howard-rheingold-2794_attention_mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you_1255962.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mindfulness means being aware of how you're deploying your attention and making decisions about it, and not…” — Howard Rheingold", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Howard Rheingold", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mindfulness means being aware of how...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you-re-deploying-your-attention/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/mindfulness-means-being-aware-of-how-you-re-deploying-your-attention/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```