Focus

What is your focus? It’s easy to identify if you’re looking through a lens of a camera and you have a subject in view, but what about your life-focus. What do we tend to focus on? There’s the obvious; school, careers and life-partners. But on a deeper level, what typically is our tendency towards? Do you focus on what you’re looking for or want or what you do not have? That to me is a really hard question to answer honestly. I’m not referring to material possessions, I’m wondering about our emotional health. I have lived a rather fortunate life, but sometimes my focus can be on what I don’t have, which is never an optimal place to be.

We live in a society of seekers. Seeking out new trends and even new religions. But what is missing that is causing us to seek? Why do so many people seem to be easily dissatisfied with their life? I’m not referring to their life as a whole, that’s way too much to discuss right now, but it seems like we lost our ability to deal with the minor disappointments that occur on a near daily basis. Have we lost our focus? Do we no longer have a clear view on how to cope and deal with stress? Is the “stress” we’re experiencing really stress or just some version of an inability to cope or be content? We’re either suppressing our feelings or allowing them to run wild. It appears we’re constantly trying to soothe our disappointment, fill the void of loneliness with something like food, alcohol, clothes, a puppy or maybe just new pillows for your sofa (if only it could always be so simple).

So, where am I going. This sounds rather depressing. Perhaps it does, but maybe it’s time we change our focus from what we don’t have to what we do have. Chances are, what you actually have is pretty remarkable. Sure there are undesirable things in our lives, and I certainly am not trying to diminish suffering that so many experience, but it’s more the minor disappointments that seem to cause such huge reactions. Even extreme reactions as seen in the recent news. We are so misunderstood all the time. We give off an expression and we’re judged. We make a comment and it’s taken out of context. That triggers hurt feelings which leads to anger and ultimately separation. It seems like it’s time to chill a little, not feel like a victim so much and stop allowing minor incidence to cause so much hurt. 

If we can try to change our focus from being the victim to being free and confident in who we are and focus on the many positive qualities we have to offer, then perhaps we’ll feel more at peace. We’re never going to make everyone happy. We often cannot change ones perception of us, but we can change how we view our self by not allowing others perception to rule how we feel and how we react. 

I recently wrote down a quote from Rick Warren: “The secret to contentment is learning to enjoy what God has given us.” Most of us have been given so much. If we could try to embrace a spirit of gratitude, that will overcome the feelings of disappointment in ourselves and others then ultimately we can change our focus towards something more positive. So what are my wants? Pretty simple: for those I know and love to prosper in mind, body and spirit. And what don’t I have? Not much.  Amen 🙏