The Power of Focus

What pulls at your attention?

People are not born with the power of attention.  To gain this ability you need to devote time and effort to train it, just like any other ability.

What happens if you wake up in the morning and think about the miserable things you need to do later in the day?

What happens if we let our attention jump from one thing to another?  We will have a busy, fractured and probably unproductive day.  If we focus entirely on one job, we may lose ourselves in that job, and it will not only be the most productive thing we do all day, but it’ll be very enjoyable.

What happens if we focus on being tired and wanting to “veg out” in front of the the TV?  We will get a lot of television watching done.  If however, we focus on being healthy and fit, we will become healthy and fit through exercise and good eating.

Tis may seem simplistic, but it’s completely true.  This is the magical power of focus.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” – Buddha

Our focus is manifested through the choices we make.  Choice therefore, is the pivotal factor in a self-controlled destiny.  Choice begins from the moment we separate from the consciousness of our parents – choice of what we will do, wear, eat and feel begins from the moment we awaken each day.  It is only through choice that we discover what works and what does not, and in this way we learn by experience.

When choice is consciously made, experience becomes self-created.  When we live without consciousness, our actions simply reflect our conditioned patterns of thought (habits, fixed ideas and accepted beliefs) or other people’s instructions, and we are no longer in charge of our own life experience. 

Concentration/Focus is the most important determination of whether you’ll achieve a goal or stick to creating a new habit.  Not self-discipline, not rewards, not sheer willpower, not even motivation (also an important ingredient, however….).

If you can’t maintain your focus, you won’t achieve the goal, unless it’s such an easy goal that it would have happened anyway.  It’s that simple.