Our attention is continually diverted from what we would like to focus on to what it seems we must pay attention to. I would love to spend more time with my family, spend more time in prayer, write several books and patent several inventions. Unfortunately there never seems to be enough time as I must focus on the everyday emergencies and urgencies. Life is continually in my face! As a result my family, my prayer life, my books and my inventions are all neglected. It seems that we start out with certain priorities and in the confusion of everyday life we lose sight of those priorities. 

Magicians are very adept at sleight of hand. They use their hands to divert your attention away from what's really important. The magic trick is accomplished by a well-studied and well-practiced deception. In the context of magic you are a willing participant and know that somehow your senses are being tricked. 

Politicians are also notorious tricksters adept at diverting focus away from what's really important. Politicians often use well-orchestrated sleight of word to get and stay elected. In the context of politics you often are a begrudging participant and have the nagging sense that somehow you're being tricked. 

Life is a more insidious trickster. By allowing our focus to be diverted away from what's important to what is merely in our faces we are tricked into changing our priorities. Oblivious to the fact that we've been tricked we can become frustrated and unsatisfied with the direction of our lives. 

Our lives are governed by the tyranny of time. This is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that we can't possibly do everything we would like to in our short lives. The good news is that we are forced to prioritize and focus on what is really important. The bad news is that life continually distracts us from what's important. The good news is that when we actually confront this dilemma our characters gain depth and flexibility. The bad news is that we may fail to do much of what is important to us. The good news is that we can succeed in some very important areas and cherish them all the more for this reason. 

To succeed in what is important we must not be hocus focused by life into what is unimportant. Awareness of the problem allows us to pay attention. Paying attention brings understanding. Understanding the trickery enables us to avoid it and thereby lead more satisfying lives.