You Could Blame It On The Camera
You know it’s true, photographs are clearer when they are in focus. When they are out of focus, they are blurry, indistinct and in most cases virtually worthless. How many times have you been disappointed by the result a photograph you really hoped would be memorable when the focus was off? Don’t you hate it when faces or objects are blurred, maybe even unrecognizable. Those photos are to be tossed, chalked up to as a poor quality picture that didn’t meet the original goal you had in mind when you took the picture. Scratch it up to experience. Maybe blame it on the camera.
The quality of the “reality pictures” that show up in your life are also largely due to the extent you’ve focused.
To start with, the idea must be held in your mind and held there clearly. My friend and the President of the John Maxwell Team, Paul Martinelli is always saying… “Hold Your Image.” The result you desire accomplish or manifest in your life must first be clearly and distinctly created in your imagination. It must be ‘in focus’; that is, the components must be defined, clearly seen, envisioned. The first habit of Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Habits is that of Clarity.
In the second place, as you go about the ‘doing’ necessary to effectuate (a new word I learned the other day, which means “put into force or operation”) the picture, you must remain focused on your goal and not allow yourself to get distracted by what is going on around you or within you – your thoughts and doubts.
It sounds simple really, but it always amazes me how unfocused people are. Me too at times. It’s something I am constantly working on. Ask someone to describe their heart’s desire and 90% of the time, you cannot get a clear description from them. It’s blurry and indistinct. Generalities but no specifics. Or a description of the picture by what’s not in it and usually sounds like some of the statements here:
“I want health, wealth and happiness”
“So what does health mean to you?”
“Well, you know, to not be sick.”
“So what does wealth mean to you?”
“Well, you know, to not be lacking.”
“So what does happiness mean to you?”
“To not be sad, dissatisfied.”
“I want peace.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, you know no more war.”
Not this, not that; defining the picture, the ideal by what is not in it, instead of what is in it. The trouble with focusing on ‘no more war’ is that you are still focusing on war. The trouble with focusing on not being unwell is that you are still focusing on un-wellness, not wellness. The focus is on lack and limitation and not on abundance and potentiality consequently when you focus on the lack and limitation, you get more lack and limitation.
As Mark Twain once said, “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want.”
I’ve noticed that many people seem to be clear on what they do NOT want. If you really want success, focus your attentions and intentions on those”things” that you want, desire, or long for. Concentrate to make that focus clear and distinct.
You’ll realize you get the picture (your goal) you have focused on. “Prosperity is the abundance of all things held ideal in mind and dear in heart.” How clear and exact are your goals? How much desire, longing, passion is attached to them? How focused is the image in your mind? How focused is your desire to have that goal in your life?
The ironic yet complex thing about life is that it is wonderfully full of distractions. Here you are, focused on some purpose or goal and then this incredibly intrusive thing occurs.
Perhaps, you are in the working with a client, totally focused on becoming a serving them. Then another client or prospect shows up, completely distracting you and before you know it, you are not serving either to the extent you could have been had you not allowed yourself to be distracted, to lose focus. Everything in it’s time and place do you don’t get distracted.
Perhaps, you are busy going about the business of creating a new opportunity and some seemingly major obstacle presents itself, so you change your mind, change your plan, change your focus to the next great business idea and the next one after that… always chasing and never catching.
We both know that life is full of distractions making it easy to lose focus. Remember that winners stay focused. Sometimes they are so focused that you cannot even get their attention.
Funny how that is.
How does Serena win Wimbledon? Focus.
How does Lance win the Tour de France? Focus.
How does Tiger win so many tournaments? Focus.
Do you want to win the game of life? Get focused. Stay focused.
Let’s talk about your focus and how to make it even better.
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