9th of March

“Whatever you focus on will grow.”

- anonymous

I believe that a number of people have stated this, or something a lot like this, over the years. So, since I know of one source that said this anonymously (and cannot find anyone else who phrases it quite like this), I'm going with that. In this case who said it is not nearly as important as what is said, anyway. 

I find this statement to be startlingly true. With the exact same conditions from one day to another, I can see things as being vastly different, depending on my mood, and what I am focusing on. Huge difference... all in my head. Hmmm.

The source of the quote went on to talk about his partner, and how if he focused on what, in her, bugged him, then she just got worse and worse in his eyes, and as a result, she withered right in front of him. But, when he focused on the good in her, and all the reasons he loved her, then she just blossomed - in his head, but also in life. He talks quite a bit about seeing “things as they are”, which is important. I can make something into something it's not, if I focus hard enough on it.

Whether it's a day, my partner, a friend, my job, one of my children... I can always find something that irks me, if I let my head dwell on such things. I can also – very easily – remind myself of the sundry reasons that I enjoy all of those people or situations and what I have to be thankful for.... Chances are if I am focusing on what's positive in my day and in the people around me, I will have a great day. If I choose to focus on the negative, it is a cinch that I will not have a great day... in fact, I will have a bad day, indeed.

So, it would seem that this whole thing is obvious, and that I should rather easily remember to do just that. But, I am human, and I can get cranked up about things, and then I forget. 

A good friend, and mentor, once showed me how to do a 'Gratitude List'... simple thing really. Piece of paper... draw a line down the middle. Left side: what I am thankful for in my life. Right side: what I consider to be a pain in the neck, or an obstacle in my life. I can do this with my whole life in mind, or I can focus on one aspect. It helps to get it down in black and white. I can see clearly what is there in my life – the things to be happy about/thankful for, and the things that need addressing, or letting go. I do these periodically... they are good reminders. It is usually pretty easy to focus on the positive, having just done one. Try it out. 

the Keeper (word to think about/keep with me for a bit): 

"Focus” - n. 1.) the center of interest or activity. 2.) an act of concentrating interest or activity on something. 3.) the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition.

With an even, grounded perspective, I hope to focus on what is positive in the people around me – particularly my family and friends – and also to focus on what is positive in the situations that I find myself a part of.