You\’ve probably heard it before but it\’s true. What you consistently focus on is, essentially, what you will get.
So you\’re probably tempted to say: \”Then why aren\’t we all living lives characterized by never ending joy, abundance and prosperity?\”
The answer is because most of us are, unwittingly, constantly focusing on the wrong things!
[box type=\”shadow\”]\”What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.\”
– Oprah Winfrey[/box]
Perhaps you\’ve heard of Ashley Hayden?
She first gained popularity as an MNet continuity presenter and more recently she has become known as a finalist in the popular Survivor series on TV.
A truly lovely lady
She\’s a truly lovely lady with a bubbly personality to match her blond good looks and hollywood smile. I had the privilege to meet her briefly when I was a marketing manager in corporate life.
I was browsing through the Sunday papers this weekend when I spotted an article featuring an interview with Ashley. I had to chuckle when I read her motto in life:
\”Life is not as it should be, could be or might be. It is what it is. Now, get on with it!\”
I love her no nonsense approach and I appreciate exactly what she means by this. But it got me thinking that some may read into it that we have no power to change our lives – and this, of course, couldn\’t be further from the truth.
A struggle to effect positive changes
In fact by focusing exclusively on how things are, rather than how you want them to be, you will struggle to effect any positive changes in your life experience.
The secret to bringing about positive change lies in what you focus your thinking on.
Little rockets of energy
Thoughts are like little rockets of creative energy. By consistently focusing on what it is you truly want and feeling the emotions associated with the state you are desirous of attaining, you will eventually bring it into your existence.
On the face of it, this seems like a simple recipe for success – and I have no doubt that our creator intended this to be so. But, as we all know, only too well, it is not nearly as simple as it might, or perhaps should, be.
The problem is that most of us have never been taught or trained how to keep a consistent focus on the way we truly want things to be. On the contrary, we have been indoctrinated to focus on how things are, what\’s wrong with how things are and what it is that we want to change.
Masters of the art
Think about it for a moment. Is it not true that we humans have mastered the art of focusing on what we do not want from life?
You just have to read the newspapers, watch the news on TV or enter into a conversation with friends. We expose ourselves to \’bad\’ or negative news and information far more frequently than we do \’good\’ or positive news and information.
The result is a natural bias towards focusing our thinking on what it is we don\’t want to happen or the experiences we want to avoid.
Attracting that which we don\’t want
And if you have studied the Law of Attraction, even at a superficial level, you will know that we attract what we consistently think about (no matter whether that be something we genuinely want to experience or that we really want to avoid!)
Perhaps an example will put this into the necessary perspective.
Same desires, different outcomes
I asked two of our life coach trainees to write down, in a couple of sentences, their ideal goal for the financial area of their life.
Here\’s what they wrote:
Person A:
\”I have finally overcome my constant financial battles and to be in a place where I no longer have insecurities about money. I have broken free of the terrible debt trap which threatened to consume me and am now able to spend money freely without feeling that gnawing fear of long-term financial dependency.\”
Person B:
\”I am so proud to step onto the shiny hull of my new yacht and feel the warm breeze on my face as I gaze out across the inviting blue waters of the bay. This is my gift to me – a symbol of the wonderful financial freedom that I have recently attained. My newfound prosperity allows me to live life to the full and love every moment of it. I am happy, joyous and free.\”
Striking difference, not so?
A\’s goal is written in the more conventional way with the focus clearly on what is not desired or wanted. Words like \’battles\’ \’insecurities\’, \’gnawing fear\’ and \’dependency\’ all evoke strong negative emotions. Sadly, with a goal like this, A is likely to attract all the very things that he seeks so badly to avoid.
B\’s goal, on the other hand, is uplifting and inspiring, evoking strongly positive emotions. By consistently focusing on a goal of this nature, with the corresponding thoughts about prosperity and the positive emotions that are associated with it, B will start to manifest what it is he desires.
The gist of my message
So here\’s the gist of my message today.
If your life is not the way you really want it to be, try changing your focus.
It won\’t be easy at first, given all the negative influences that we are exposed to. But keep trying and stay committed and slowly but surely, your life will change!
At 35 I’ve jumped through a lot of hurdles. At this present moment for the 1st time in my life I can feel, in my gut, that my life is about to take a serious turn for the better.
After reading your article on “Change your Focus”, I’m pretty sure that this is my make it or break it time and that it is up to me to choose which way I go. (because for the longest time I could’nt see an opportunity even if it hit me in the face)
The deep seated feeling of surety (in my core), gives me goosebumps, excitement, anxiety, a bit of doubt (questions – what if I’m reading the whole ‘feeling it my gut thing wrong’?) I assume that these feelings come with the territory.
With all of that said, I know and have always known that my thinking is my best weapon. But now that I have awakened, I will actually put it to practice.
Bill, thank you for what you do for us, for us who have had difficult childhoods and have carried them into adulthood and never really ‘getting it’. For those who know it but do not know how to apply it and for everyone else who just wants to live a life fulfilled and genuinely content. After many years on a journey of ‘self discovery’, I think I finally get it. And it’s all thanks to you and all like minded people who God put on this earth to teach us about LOVE.
Thank you!
Thanks Bill,
We are all masters of our own destiny. Some of us are just a little slow on learning.
Keeping a gratitude journal for the last 2 years has fundamentally changed my life. It definitely helps one to focus on the good which brings more and more. I am truelly blessed.
Whilst I absolutely concur with how beneficial and important it is to focus on what one really wants out of life for ourselves, and to be grateful for all that comes our way on the journey, I believe that one of the first steps is to accept full responsibility for our past, present and any future challenges that we will face as a result of the choices and decisions we make. To be successful at living life to the full, apart from focus, taking control and responsibility is in my view paramount.
One of the failures of the present society, world wide, is that the majority blame others for their misfortunes and expect others to provide them with the life they desire. No focus, no responsibility.
A week ago I bought a workbook on this subject and started meditating. What a great diffence it has made! There’s so much power in our thoughts. Thanks for a great post Bill
This is motivating for me – thank you Bill. I think if one has pursued a focus of what is, rather than what you want, it is hard to re-focus. But I’m getting to understand the concept in practice now and see some positive ramifications…….not financial yet though!!!
Financial is almost always the most difficult area for many of us because it has been so ingrained in us to think that focusing on abundance can be equated with being selfish or greedy (which, in a naturally abundant universe, it is most certainly not!)
Great post! … Thank you Bill
For me Bill it is exactly about that .
I received a lovely quote about living out the principles of getting what you really want and truly focusing on it consciously.
If you place a poker near the heat of a fire, it becomes hot. To succeed follow the hot poker principle –
– Be around great men and women and learn from their experience
– Visit great places
– Attend great events
– Read great books
We should all be placing ourselves near the fire ….living,learning and experiencing the context and environment of our dreams and goals!
Great advice Michelle. My article this week is more concerned with thinking rather than doing but your point is a good one nonetheless.
I have heard this so many times over the 40 0dd years of my life. I’m glad that the past two weeks have been positively focused and I see and feel results everyday. Creating my own miracles? Clearly.
Thank you for all your words of motivation
God bless
Its my pleasure. Keep on creating …
So true Bill.
Don’t we hear to often:
Do you think you will be able to do it? (A motivator for me)
Remember you are going to pay tax. (I’d like to pay a million in taxes).
Where are you going to find people. (Some will, some won’t, so what, next).
Really, if we can dream it, we can achieve it.
I Like.
Indeed Herman. Its a subtle shift of focus and emphasis that is all that is required! Thank you.