“And the life we’d lead
If we could only be free from these distractions”
Paul McCartney: “Distractions”
A beautiful and very underrated and underappreciated song from Paul’s 1989 album, “Flowers in The Dirt”.
“Rocking”, or wanting/learning how to “Rock in life” along with the “Focus” needed to do so, will always be a constant theme behind my writings. Another recurring theme in my writings will be, “WYLIWYG™ (Will-eee-wig).” More on that later.
In my September 9, 2018 blog, I talked about looking from the inside out. In other words, “we see the world with our mind; regardless of what sense is being used.” Those senses are just tools. Sounds simple? Sounds obvious, right? Maybe a touch trivial or even a little insulting? Why do I even have to say that phrase? Why?? Because people are spending millions, if not billions of dollars on self-help books, videos and courses trying to find that “secret” to reaching their potential, and they think it should be easy, but one book or one course seems to quickly turn into a second and so on as they open up a psychological Pandora’s Box – and the search continues! That’s why!
Distractions! Every one of us has had to overcome distractions. That is life! However, I’m telling you now, you can read all the very best books, watch videos over and over, drive with motivational recordings playing, but if you do not know how to focus, you will be spinning your wheels – not processing and absorbing what your mind is being privy to.
In the future we will dissect why and what distractions are, and most importantly – how to deal with them. For now, I want to take you back in time. Think of what your actions were once you were able to walk as a baby. Everything around you was a distraction. We bumped, hit, banged into anything and everything. Our parent(s) were running wild trying to stay ahead of us so we wouldn’t get hurt. We needed their guidance. It was accepted that this was part of our education and that it was okay. We were young, naïve, uneducated. As a kid, the world was a playground. Distractions would then hit their peak when we became an adult. Possibly your thoughts at one time were, “Yikes! How do I keep up with it all?” Ironic isn’t it? This is the paradox. For far too many, the distractions affected us, in a negative way, the most when we became adults. We were done school. We didn’t need guidance anymore. We felt like we were supposed to mostly know it all, and felt were smart and wise enough to process it and succeed. So today, how many self-help books have you read, do you own…and why?
Okay…this was going to be next blog but I think you could use it now. How many of you drive? Try to remember, if you are young enough, that very first day you drove a vehicle on the road. You finally got the feel for the gas and the brake. You started to understand how to keep the car straight and in your lane. You smiled, gave a huge sigh of relief and even started to feel like King/Queen shit. “Freedom! Finally! Wow! This is easier than I thought” maybe came to mind. But oh, oh…what’s that up ahead? A parked car! Your job was now to move your vehicle that you were in control of, into the open space around the parked car, and then back in your lane. During the process, you must acknowledge, process and determine any dangers with or around/inside the parked car. Is there someone inside? Do you see feet under the vehicle meaning someone, possibly kids were hidden in front of it? You thought you were doing just that, but the licensed driver sitting in the passenger seat next to you knew better and with their hand, they gently pushed the steering wheel, you were holding, away from that object. “Why did that happened?” you wondered. “That doesn’t make sense! Of course I didn’t want to hit the parked car!” Problem is, you were looking right at it. It was a distraction but you were not dealing with it the right way. You “looked” at it, or “stared” at it – because you “feared” it. Where You Look, Is Where You Go: WYLIWYG.
So! What are YOU looking at – in life? Keep thinking about that until next time and we will continue learning how to Rock your world! Remember WYLIWYG™!