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The power of focus

Situations are just situations. Neutral, and without meaning.

We assign meaning to a situation, and choose to interpret it as either positive or negative.

That does not suggest that you should be a Pollyanna and interpret objectively negative things as positive.

However, if a negative situation occurs, we have the opportunity to choose a positive or negative meaning for it.

Let’s say that you fall over and injure yourself. The injury is quite painful, and you visit a doctor. The doctor advises you to rest up and runs some tests, suspecting that the pain may be an indicator of something “serious”. The tests rule out the doctor’s suspicion, however during the rest period, you reflect on your life and realise that the work you are doing is no longer rewarding.

If it had not been for the injury, and the forced period of rest, you would have missed the opportunity to reflect on your life and circumstances. The fear of death inspired a moment of clarity and you realised that if something serious had been found, you would have felt disappointed that you were staying with a profession that was unsatisfying.

The situation of an injury is negative, and the threat of terminal illness is also sobering.

You could feel bad about the injury, and focus on the negative situation.

However, you could focus on the personal reflection time which was enabled by the forced rest period.

Your decision of what to focus upon will greatly influence your experience of the situation.

It’s up to you… what will you decide?

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