The Power of Focus

You have a choice. It doesn’t matter where you are right now or what you’re going through, you can recreate the direction of your life. Those words come from a book I wrote years ago called The Power of Choice. Back then, I was trying to help people free themselves from the expectations of others and the rut they had grown accustomed to, so that they could pursue the life they were meant to live. Now that I am in my 60s, that message is even more important.

Too many people my age believe that it’s too late for making choices. Nothing could be further from the truth. Expanded life expectancies mean we are facing another 20 to 30 or more years ahead. That’s plenty of time to make meaningful choices that can take us in the direction we most want to go. One of those choices is where to put our focus.

We can allow ourselves to become obsessed with every ache or problem, which leads to setting those issues center stage. What you put your attention on grows and before you know it, you see more of the same. The more you choose to focus on undesired things, the more you notice undesired things.

I’m not saying that you should ignore pain or other issues. But notice how much you think and talk about them. How much of the day do you devote to thinking about what’s going wrong? How many times do you tell anyone who will listen about your challenges? Stop and recognize the subjects that dominate your thinking and conversations and decide if that is what you want to create more of in your life.

Sure, things happen that we don’t like. But if we focus on them, that’s all we notice. We miss the opportunity to enjoy the many good things happening to and around us. So, allow yourself a minute or two to acknowledge any challenge you perceive and then shift your focus on to that which you most desire for the next hour. Focus on your strengths, on the positive relationships you have, on the insights you’ve gained. You are planting seeds for what you want more of with each thought and word.

You have a choice, and the choice you make about where you put your attention, thoughts, and discussions makes a real difference. You are free to choose to be a helpless victim, or to choose not to be identified or limited by any condition. Where you put your focus expands. What will you choose?