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Keeping your
focus
I
recently undertook the challenge of renovating a house and it has forced me to
grow in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Every day I have to develop a new skill
and solve problems I’ve never encountered before. In addition to the challenge
of working outside of my main strengths, I’m also benefiting from the experience
by having a few motivational principles reinforced.
On any typical day after having worked on the house, I always notice two or
three bumps, bruises or cuts that I hadn’t detected before, or I notice them at
the time of injury but dismiss them quickly afterward.
I’ve observed this phenomenon at other times too. I was clearing an area
of my back yard recently and had to wade through a maze of briars and thorns.
When I got inside, I noticed my legs were cut in several places but when the
injuries occurred, I had hardly paid any attention.
I believe the reason for these types of occurrences is a concentration of
focus. When I’m in the midst of a project such as installing a counter top or
cleaning up my yard, my attention is focused on getting the job done. I’m
looking at the completion of the project and all my energy is focused toward
that end. The focus I have on my objective is so strong that the pain incurred
on the way is minimized. Getting an injury here or there just doesn’t seem as
important as finishing the job.
What pain are you experiencing in your life right now? Are the bills
stacking up? Are you having trouble with the kids? Is your job overwhelming?
How about your wounds? What injuries have you sustained lately? Have you
made a poor financial decision? Has the car broken down too often? Have you
received bad news about your family?
When we focus on an injury we tend to let our overall objective slip from
view. The pain seems all important and can cause us to despair and lose our
way.
When the pain comes, it always helps to look at the big picture — to know
where you’re heading and what you’re shooting for. I’ve noticed that most
successful people tend to have the ability to do this. First of all, it’s
important to remember that successful people have a well-defined mission such as
building a shopping mall, raising healthy, productive children or starting a
mission work. As a result of having a firm grasp on, and passion for, their
objectives, they tend to view hardship as an inconvenience rather than a
roadblock. In other words, when life scratches them, they certainly notice but
don’t allow the pain to distract them from their objectives.
I’m not saying to ignore all pain. Pain is often a sign that something needs
your attention. You shouldn’t let a cut go untreated forever and emotional pain
must be tended to as well.
What I am saying is that you have the power to point your life in whichever
direction you choose. Will you allow pain to distract you from creating success
in your life? Will you let it derail your goals and dreams? Or will you look at
that pain as merely a bump in the road to your desired destination?
When you next encounter one of life’s injuries, remember your direction.
Remember your goals, cling to the big picture and keep marching forward.
© 2004 Charles Marshall. Charles Marshall is a motivational speaker, motivational author and president of M Power Resources, LLC. Visit his Web site at www.MPowerResources.com or contact him via e-mail at charles@MPowerResources.com.
