Date: September 21, 2023
In Conversation with Chirasree Mitra
Narendra: What is the importance of Concentration and Focus for our effective functioning in the world?
Chirasree: In today’s fast-paced world and considering the multiple demands that life makes from each of us, we are all under pressure to deliver. Regardless of our age or gender, we all have certain responsibilities to fulfil and certain tasks that we must take care of. Even to satisfy our basic needs, we must work at a certain level of performance; and any kind of performance or activity is directly related to these two concepts of Focus and Concentration.
Without concentration one cannot achieve anything.~ The Mother, CWM, Vol. 12, p. 135
Narendra: Can you explain in simple terms the difference between Concentration and Focus? Are they actually different or do they mean the same thing?
Chirasree: Concentration is our ability to be attentive on the task at hand while ignoring distractions or simply directing all our efforts onto one particular thing and not thinking about anything else at that given point of time. We can speak of three stages of concentration – light, moderate and deep. To achieve the deepest level of concentration, we require significant amount of time and effort. A good level of concentration helps us improve our performance whatever the task may be and results in more satisfaction with the outcome.
READ FULL CONVERSATION HERE.
About our guest:
Chirasree Mitra is a practicing Psycho-Social Counsellor working for the last 18 years as Counsellor and Faculty/ Trainer, both in government and private institutions in Health sector. She did her Masters in Sociology from Calcutta University and got trained in Counselling from premiere institutes including Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), and Dept of Psychology, Lucknow University.
Her counselling work ranges from areas such as Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery, Interventional Cardiology, HIV/AIDS, Adolescent Health, Life Skills, Maternal and Child Health to Gender & Sexuality. An ardent trekker, she is a worshipper of the mighty mountains and the rivers.