What You Focus on Grows!

Lately I've been giving a lot of attention to the power of thoughts. "As a man thinketh, so is he," so they say. But how much control do we really have over our thoughts...and if our thoughts are often dark and negative, what does that mean for who we are? Worse, what does it say about who we can become? Does the reality of our 'less than pure' thoughts confine us to a less than desirable life experience? It's something I have often pondered. And if there is any possibility for change, how do we even control our thoughts so as to direct them into paths we want to follow? Does it now mean a constant, mindful re-direction of these thoughts? Sounds exasperating doesn't it?

The very thought of it is intimidating, to say the least. But I have found that this seemingly herculean task  need not be tackled in this fashion. A more productive and fruitful endeavor would be to seek, instead, to try to control the things we give attention to, the things we focus on. Obviously, it is almost impossible to control the thoughts that come knocking at our mind's door, but it is certain that we
 can control what you let it and how long you entertain them. What we focus on grows. I'm pretty certain you've heard that said, and it's true. We give energy, life even, the things we focus on - be they good or evil. It goes without saying, therefore, that we ought to be very careful about the things we give attention to.

The connections between our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual states of being is a whole discussion point in and of itself - one I will not delve into here. Suffice it to say our focused thoughts have the ability to command our physical, emotional and spiritual energies and, as such, our entire state of being. "Be careful what you ask for" indeed. Very careful. Calculated, in fact! We ought to be  strategic in our approach to deciding what grows in our minds and consequently in our lives....what do you want more of? Make a list. What will it take to bring it into being? (Be very clear....thinking about it is not enough; we must ACT to bring it into being...but yes, focused thinking is where it begins). When we focus on the things we are passionate about, the things that serve us well, the things that create happiness and joy in our mental space, we are energized to create the conditions for positive change.

So today, let's commit to focusing our thoughts on the things we want to create in our own lives. Let's give attention to the person we wish to become, the conditions we wish to create, the story we want to tell about our journey. It starts with a vision. "The more clearly we are able to see the vision of the future, the more we are able to borrow from its inspiration." The clearer the vision, the easier it is to develop goals, the achievement of which you give your focus to. Let's give deliberate attention to controlling our focus. It's the best proxy to controlling your thoughts that I know.