Aim can come from right or wrong places in us. Aim may be right and come from a wrong place, and aim may be wrong and yet come from a right place. In order to understand what this means, we have to turn back to centers and parts of centers and also speak a little about Attention once more. Aim comes from a wrong place when it comes from small mechanical divisions of centers, where attention is at a minimum or passes from one trifle to another—where, in fact, there is zero-attention, or only a number of separate small attentions, and no comprehensive attention.
Aim cannot come from these small scattered attentions, which belong to mechanical divisions of centers. It must be formed and must come from higher divisions where the quality of attention is different. Ordinary attention is not sufficient… Now unless we have some power of free attention we cannot expect to keep aim or indeed learn what the Work is about because we will be occupied with small things and the Work can never be understood if it is taken either as a small thing or on the level of small things.
Maurice Nicoll, “The Place of Aim” in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 1, p. 177)
Working Note: For Today’s Inner Effort
Orientation: Notice where aim comes from in moments of attention.
What to Notice:
Attention scattered across small things.
Jumping from one thought to another without direction.
Doing something “for the Work” with divided attention.
Moments where attention gathers and becomes steadier.
Losing aim in trifles, details, and unnecessary inner talking
Work Effort for Today:
Bring attention to one simple action and keep it there briefly.
Notice when attention wanders and return it.
Hold attention in the body for a few seconds during activity.
Remember: Aim needs gathered attention, not scattered small thoughts.
