Tag Archives: Focus

Happy or Sad

26 Apr

We go through a lot of things in this life. Sometimes all runs smoothly and we feel happy and content. Other times things go wrong and we’re stressed and unsettled. There is no way to predict what each day will bring and even if we try our hardest to ensure things go well, sometimes there’s a ringer we didn’t plan on and we fall flat. We can’t control a lot of what comes to us but we can control how we react to it. If we’ve had a disappointment it may impact how we feel and what we do. But we can control our behavior and our attitude can affect how we see things and how we go forward. If we want to fall into despair and believe that things will never be right again, we can. Or we can see our disappointments, no matter how great they are, as passages leading to something new. We may not feel content, and we may be unsure, but we can still find joy no matter what we’re going through. If we want to, we can choose to be happy despite any disappointment. Happiness doesn’t just come to us. It’s often a choice we make. No matter what comes we’ll handle it, and as we do, we can find comfort. Since there isn’t anything we can’t manage, we can go forward with confidence and grace, and we can do it with joy.

This life has a lot of ups and downs. Situations and other people affect our lives continually. Those influences can be both a benefit and a detriment. When things go wrong and we’re struggling it can be hard to find joy. But we can be genuine in our disappointment and still look forward with confidence. We can go through hard times, face them head on, and find peace knowing we’re doing the best we can. No matter how difficult the trial, no matter how upset or sad we are or how disappointed we feel, we can still decide to find happiness going forward. No problem is permanent and everything shakes out eventually. We may end up on a completely different road than we thought we were headed for, but that just means the journey has taken a turn. It isn’t over, and we’ve only modified our direction. The twists and turns in our lives take us to new places we may never have dreamed of and wherever they take us we will find our way.

We are often more capable than we think we are. There really isn’t anything we can’t do. When we face difficult trials and serious disappointments, we have the resources within us to manage them. At first we may not believe we can get through but as time passes we’ll see we are coping and moving forward. If we focus on the goal instead of the journey, and the destination instead of the rocky road we’re on, we will get through more easily. And if we determine to find happiness in each day no matter what comes, the journey will be brighter and easier to navigate. Happy or sad, it’s often up to us. Our shoulders are strong enough to bear whatever burdens come. And the sun will continue to shine. If we focus on our strength instead of the heavy load we’re carrying, we will find joy and comfort.

Today if you’re feeling sad or disappointed, if the road seems impossible to navigate, look up. You’ve come so far already and there isn’t anything you can’t do. You have more blessings than you can count. Think about those and focus on the road ahead. Take control. There isn’t anything you can’t do, and you can do it with joy.

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Last Minute

29 Aug

Sometimes when we need to do something we don’t want to, or have to make a decision that’s hard for us, we put it off. We might ignore it for as long as possible, get busy with other things, and pretend it doesn’t exist. But eventually we reach the time when we absolutely, positively have to do it. We’ve waited until the last minute either hoping we wouldn’t have to face it, or hoping somehow running out of time would help us get it done. Lots of us need the pressure of the last minute to make difficult decisions or move forward. When we put things off until we reach the moment when we have to do them even if we’re not ready, it has to happen. And then we face them.

Waiting until the last minute has its perks. We can forget about the situation for a while, we can live in a dream state pretending it doesn’t exist, and we can imagine we’re preparing so we can make the best decision when the time comes. If we’re in denial these seem like good options. But if we want to live in truth, this dodging really doesn’t help us. Waiting until we absolutely have to do something before we face it just makes the decision harder because we’re short on time, and it rushes us through the task that needs to be done, opening the door for problems.

If we want to do our best we need to be more proactive. Being proactive takes thought and planning. No matter what we have to face, it’s best to take the time we need to prepare for the decision or activity, plan for it to happen, and then confidently go forward. There isn’t anything we can’t face, but we’ll face everything more effectively if we look at it head on instead of ignoring it, and pretending it’s not there. If we courageously and carefully think about it, consider our options, and then plan for possible outcomes, we’ll be more successful in accomplishing what we need to. Waiting things out rarely works to our advantage and having an advantage can make all the difference.

Today if you’ve been putting something off that needs your attention, if you’ve been ignoring a decision or situation you need to address, change your focus. Open the door and look at things squarely, evaluate your feelings, and go forward with confidence. There is nothing you can’t do. There is nothing you can’t face. You are strong and capable of doing anything. Today move forward with confidence and get the advantage on your side. You can manage this. You’re just moving one more step closer to where you want to be.

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Leaving a Mark

2 Aug

No matter what we experience in this life, good or bad, it leaves a mark on us. We are the sum total of our experiences. Everything we see, everything we do, everything that happens to us, all leaves an impression on us. There is no delete button. It’s all there. Over time we may forget something, and then someone says a word or phrase, or we smell a specific scent, and the memories come rushing back. But even if we’ve forgotten something we’ve experienced, it’s still inside us like indelible ink. We can’t remove anything from our pasts. But we can learn to let our experiences teach us, and help us become the people we want to be.

When we have heartbreak, and disappointment, it’s hard to see anything positive from the experience. But in processing the sadness or anger, we can develop new coping skills which we can draw on later. When we have joyful times and everything is going well, we can draw on the contentment, and satisfaction we feel during more stressful times. Every experience teaches us something new, and if we pay attention we can make the most of the learning.

During difficult times, if we want to, we can be filled with resentment, be jealous when others are doing well, be angry because things haven’t gone as we’d hoped, and hold onto grudges. These decisions will not allow us to grow. Resenting hard times is a waste of energy. Hard times come to us all. If we get stuck in resentment and jealousy, focusing so hard on someone else’s life and decisions, we may forget that our lives are going by. And holding onto a grudge prevents us from moving forward. Instead, it’s best to learn everything we can from our experiences, good and bad. This life rushes by in a moment. If we want to learn all we can, we have to value each experience, and each mark it leaves on us.

Today if things are going well and you’re happy with your situation, rejoice and embrace it. Hold the happy feelings close and remember them. If things are difficult and you’re struggling to get through, learn all you can from the experience so when it’s over you’ll have something positive to draw from. Whatever you’re experiencing, make the mark positive. Grab all the good you can, and take it with you. Focus on what you’re learning, and move closer to the person you want to be.

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Doing Well

29 Jul

As we go through our lives there are countless things to do.  We have responsibilities to our families, our jobs, ourselves, our homes, our cars, and the list is endless.  There is always something to do.  We have tasks, and chores, and details that seemingly never end.  We’re busy much of the time, and when there is a lot to do we may try to finish quickly by cutting corners.  We might try to do the minimum required to get the job done so we can move on.  Sometimes that works and we get by, but other times it ends up causing us more issues to fix later.  We can rush, and we can cut all the corners we want, but in the end if we haven’t done the best we could do, it may come back to bite us.

There is a saying, “Any job worth doing is worth doing well.”  There is great truth in that.  If we apply ourselves to our tasks and do them as well as we can, we will be happy with our performance, and we can move on with confidence.  There is little gratification found in rushing, and trying to just patch things through.  When we look back at a task we’ve done poorly because we tried to do it as quickly as possible, there is no sense of accomplishment.  However, there is great value in doing our tasks well.  And when we do them well, we know we’ve done our best.

In order to do our best, we need to focus.  Recent studies show that there really is no such thing as multi-tasking.  It turns out we can really only focus our attention on one thing at a time.  So if we want to do our tasks well, we need to zone in on one at a time, and make it a priority.  It may be something small, some errand we have to run or some menial chore that needs addressing, or it might be something really important.  Whatever it is, if we put our complete focus on it, and don’t try to do three other things at the same time, we will be happier with the result.  And in the end, a job done well done may prevent additional complications later.  And nobody needs more complications.

Today if you have a lot to do, and you’re rushing around trying to complete everything, try to focus on one task at a time.  You’ll get things done more effectively and because you have eliminated all the distractions, you’ll get them done more quickly.  Do one thing, and then move on to the next.  Before you know it you’ll have completed everything, and looking back you’ll be happy with what you’ve done.  Remember, “Any job worth doing is worth doing well.”  You can do everything well.  And when you do, you’ll be happy with the result.

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