6. The King and the White Squishy Balls

On attention, fatigue, and your inner throne

The king lends out his White Squishy Balls.
Then he realizes he needs them.
So he grabs them by their squishy necks and pulls them back.

The White Squishy Balls—or WhiSBas—are overworked.
The king doesn’t care.
At the end of the day he says, “Entertain me.”

“What? Wha… what!? Let us rest,” plead the WhiSBas.
“EN—TER—TAIN—ME!” howls the king.

The next morning, the king grabs his WhiSBas to read the news.
He feels the need to rest.
Uh uh, no! Rest is boring.

Fatigue consumes him.
He closes his eyes and has a moment of enlightenment.
The White Squishy Balls get a break.
He enters another dimension. Thoughts come and go.
But a few very important ones stay: his kids, his partner, his friends—people.

WhiSBas are your eyes.
But also your attention.

You are the king (or queen) of your kingdom.
WhiSBas are there for you—don’t lend them out so freely.
Organize. Plan.
Give your attention only to what you’ve decided deserves it.

Try it for a week.
A month.
And when you feel the difference for yourself…
help someone else feel it too.

—

—Simplicity, chosen again.