Focus

Ever have days when you find yourself focusing on how hard your life is, how unlucky you are, and how unfair it all seems? I'm not talking about major life challenges, but rather every day “bumps in the road.” 

It has been that kind of week for me… And it’s only Tuesday. The end of last week bled into a challenging weekend- an appliance died flooded the kitchen and I had a “minor” issue with a home improvement project and killed two vacuums in the process. All of this is added to some significant work stress. In the midst of all of this, I had to make a choice. I began to cycle down the path of negative mental chatter and criticism. It took intentionality and focus to pull myself out of that and laugh at some of the situations or grab on to an appreciation anchor.

Anyone can get caught up in “poor-me” self-talk from time to time, but it doesn't do us much good. When we wallow in pity, one can feel burdened, weighed down, and stuck in a rut. It then can be hard to develop an enthusiasm for anything. To move from self-pity to hope takes an intentional shift in focus from what's wrong to what's right. 

What you focus on grows in your life- what you ignore tends to wither away.

This simple redirect of attention starts a positive energy shift. As you notice what's right instead of what's wrong, you feel more supported and cared for. When you feel grateful, you are more willing to share your bounty with others. When you give, the flow of abundance returns to you. Instead of waiting for fate to deal you a better hand, use gratitude to move your life forward.