"...the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. Russel M. Nelson Joy and Spiritual Survival October 2010
Where is your focus? Do you want to see the leaves and the ground, or do you want to see the flowers? It doesn't matter which you desire to see, unless you're not seeing the one you want to see. If you want to see the flower but you only see the leaves and the ground, your focus is off.
In each of our lives, like in these photos, we choose where our focus is. If I told you to look for a yellow car, you would start seeing them everywhere. We find exactly what we are looking for. Our brains are amazing in that way. They learn what's important to us and they focus on that. The more we think about something, the more of it we find.
When you focus on joy, you find it everywhere. When you focus on growth, you find it everywhere. When you focus on blessings you find them everywhere.
Conversely, when you focus on sadness, you find it everywhere. When you focus on stagnation, you find it everywhere. When you focus on problems, you find them everywhere.
Let me give you a personal example. When I was 29, I was hospitalized for a serious infection following a hysterectomy. I was focused on healing. I had no energy for anything else. I had two different antibiotics entering the back of my hands. One burned going in and I would lift that hand up to stop the burning for a moment. I knew the medicine would help my body fight the infection, so I didn't focus on the pain, but only on the medicine getting where it needed to be.
I could have complained about having a hysterectomy at such a young age. I could have focused on what I lost. I could have complained about having the infection. I could have blamed my surgeon for causing the infection.
But none of that would have helped me heal. That was my focus, remember?. I decided to thank the hospital staff for taking care of me in my time of need. I thanked my surgeon for checking on me. I thanked the nurse who was great in the daytime, but got a bit grumpy on the overnight shift. I was truly grateful for everyone who took care of me.
Later my surgeon told me he was afraid I would die of the infection. We were both grateful that I didn't. I had no idea that I was that sick. I am grateful the surgeon kept that worry from me until I was healed. If I had focused on the thought that I might die, who knows how fast I would have healed, if at all? I believe focusing on healing and gratitude got me through it. I believe that I healed faster because my focus was on healing and gratitude and not complaining and blame.
The same applies to where you focus your time and effort. If you want to focus on the things that really matter to you, your core values, then make a conscious effort to do just that. Look at where your thoughts are heading and gently bring them back to what really matters to you. Look at where you are spending your time and decide if it is in step with your deepest desires and values.
I have created an exercise designed to open your mind to what really matters to you. It is a powerful tool for you to discover where you want to focus your energy and time. If you want to learn more, book a call with me and we'll talk about how your focus can work for you instead of against you.
