The Power Of Focus: You Determine The Direction Of Your Life

It took going upside down for me to really get it when it comes to focus. In the year it took me to master a handstand I learned a lot about the subject. The instant my gaze wandered off course in my many attempts at balancing on my hands, I would instantly come crashing down to Earth. When I kept my focus steady, everything eventually “lifted” into place and I achieved the balance point of effortless effort. nnIn your life and work, do you find yourself spending more time in that place of balance or do you come crashing down? If the former is true for you, hurray! You’ve learned the power of focus. Keep up the good work! If it’s more of the latter, take a moment to review where you are losing your focus. nnThere are times when we all lose focus. No big whoop. How quickly you regain focus, however, will determine how quickly you’ll return to the balance point (or find it for the first time). nnRecently I took time to reflect on my business. Since it’s inception in early 2001, I’ve been hearing an internal message of “Do the yoga.” This year I’ve decided to take that message beyond the mat and make yoga’s philosophy and principles the focal point of my business. Yes, I still do corporate speaking and training, yet with a new perspective. And guess what? My phone is ringing off my waist (it’s a cell phone), with little effort on my part. All I did was shift my focus. How can this work for you? nnThink about it for a minute. On what do you focus? Is it the positive, or the negative side of things? On what you want, or don’t want? On the present and future, or the past? On what you have, or don’t have? nnWe’ve all heard the term, “keep your eyes on the goal.” When we take our focus off the goal, we get caught in the quagmire of conflicting emotions, and we crash. In yoga, focus is so important that each asana (pose) has a specific drishti, or focal point for the eyes. The ancients knew the power of focus. Whatever you focus on comes to pass, so start each day with a clear intention of what your priorities are, what you want to accomplish, and don’t let yourself become distracted. If your energy is scattered, the return on that energy will be scattered as well. nnHow to get your focus back on track: nn• Notice when you start to feel scattered or when things seem like a burden. nn• Know what your intention is and what you want to accomplish. nn• Take a deep breath. Take a few more. nn• Let go of that which no longer serves you. Focus on the highest return for your time and energy. nnn