Once upon a time…
Professor Harvey entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. The mood in the room changed instantly as they all waited anxiously for the exam to begin.
Professor Harvey handed out the exams with the text facing down, as usual. Once every student had one, he asked them to turn the papers over.
To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions or even any words, only a little black dot in the centre of an otherwise blank sheet of paper. Amused at the sea of bewildered expressions around the room, Professor Harvey announced:
“I want you to write about what you see there.”
Confused, the students began the inexplicable task.
At the end of the class, Professor Harvey took all the exams and started reading each one of them out loud in front of the class. All of them, with no exception, defined the black dot, trying to explain its position in the centre of the sheet.
Once all the papers had been read, with a twinkle in his eye, Professor Harvey began to explain:
“I’m not going to grade you on this, I just wanted to give you something to think about. You see, here’s the thing: No one wrote about all the white space on the paper. Every single one of you focused on, and mostly cursed, the black dot. Indeed, the same thing happens in our lives. We insist on focusing only on the black dots – the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend. The dark spots are very small when compared to everything else in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds. Take your eyes away from the black dots in your lives so you can fully enjoy each moment that life gives you.”
“The seeds of happiness can grow from one thought, one idea, one simple change in focus.”
― Charles F. Glassman
Moral of the Story:
In a world full of distractions, the power of focus sets the successful apart from the rest. When you have a clear vision and the determination to stay focused, nothing can stand in your way. It is your way of thinking that creates good or bad outcomes. Focus is not just about what you see, but also about what you choose to ignore. Learn to filter out the noise and concentrate on what truly matters. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Focus on your character, not your reputation. Focus on your blessings, not your misfortunes. When you want something to move out of your life, don’t focus on it. Give attention to what you want. The more you choose to focus on the positive, the more positive will come into focus. All choice is with you.
Your life is controlled by what you focus on. Your focus literally determines your reality. When you focus on the present moment and give it your undivided attention, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities. Rather than prioritising your schedule, schedule your priorities. You define what’s important to you by what you dedicate your time to. You always have time for things you put first. The key to realising a dream is to focus not on success but to focus on significance. When you look back with regret, that regret becomes your focus. This means your focus directs you to go back to that – again and again and again. You cannot write the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the previous one. Being negative only makes the journey more difficult. You might be given a cactus but you don’t have to sit on it. Positive thinking is powerful thinking. What you focus on grows. If you want happiness, fulfillment, success and inner peace, start looking for those things. Choose a new focus. Look forward and focus on your passion with joyful anticipation. Your passion will fill the empty space of your loss, and where you end up will amaze you!
“We always have a choice of going after positive or negative, prosperity or poverty, health or disease, success or failure.”
― Hina Hashmi
Affirmation: I determine my priorities and focus on them.
My life is an adventure and every day, I discover new and interesting paths to pursue. I am focused on my goals and feel passionate about my life and my work. The universe is filled with endless opportunities for me and I pursue them with purpose and vigour. I choose to see today as a new opportunity to shine. Everything I do is fun, healthy and exciting. I am a beacon of love and compassion. I choose to let go of any stagnant, negative beliefs that have stood in the way of my happiness. I choose to think positively and focus on the actions which lead to success. I easily ignore the noise of distraction and I firmly unapologetically say “no”. My attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. The less I respond to drama, the more peaceful my life becomes. I am a part of the solution, not the pollution. I surround myself with people who make me feel good. I seek a message in every challenge. I am worthy of all the good things life has to offer. And so it is.
“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.”
— Jack Canfield
