A crisis has the power to bring the best or the worst out of any person. It all depends on where your focus is. There is always something to fear if we look for it. These days we don’t have to look very far, as the whole world is currently struggling with COVID-19.
It is okay to be afraid sometimes, but you don’t have to stay there. Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said: “Courage is not the absence of fear.” The truth is that it doesn’t matter how you feel; with courage, you can still take action because it is the right thing to do.
All successful people operate this way. Leaders also have fears, but they don’t let doubts stop them from doing what is right.
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”- Aristotle Onassis
What is right:
Now more than ever in history, it is crucial that we learn to control our focus. It seems like most people are more focused on the problems. But if you are only focusing on what is wrong and don’t watch out, you are going to have issues as something is wrong every single day.
Powerful good news is that you can also focus on what is right and good! We usually experience whatever we concentrate on at the moment! But whatever you do, do not allow the media to direct your focus towards it. There are a lot of great and positive things happening in the world right now, not just death and suffering.
Always remember that usually, about 85% of the things you worry about never actually happen.
“I have lived a long life and had many troubles, most of which never happened.”-MARK TWAIN
Take control of your focus:
The pattern is generally like this: 1- What are you focusing on? 2- What does it mean? 3- What you are planning to do about it.
Most people have a subconscious emotional weakness, such as fear, anger, or guilt. Sometimes a crisis triggers that vulnerability, and this is why people react differently to the same situations.
Other people can be comfortable in that state because that is where they live most of the time. But you can change that negative state of mind by changing your focus.
The Three Questions:
1- Do you usually focus on what you currently have or on what is missing in your life?
2- Do you often focus on what you can control or situations that you cannot control?
3- Do you usually focus on the past or the future?
If you mostly focus on what is missing in your life, what you cannot control- and issues in the past- you will have trouble! Focus equals reality, even if it is not real.
What is your primary focus? If you are always thinking of what is missing, how can you be happy? You must train yourself to focus on what you have, your blessings, and be grateful for it — practice gratitude.
Likewise, if you are mostly focusing on what you cannot control, you have a problem. It can lead to depression, addiction, and all sorts of issues. Negative emotions can dominate your life to the point where they can destroy you.
The past has passed, and you cannot change it no matter how much you think about it. Regrets are a waste of human potential; you must focus on the future and create a compelling vision for your life. Live today with all your five senses: be present, as there is so much good if you look for it.
Meanings and Actions:
After you decide your focus, you can decide what meaning you will give to it. You can provide positive or negative connotations to what happens to you, and you will act accordingly.
Is life destroying you or challenging you? Is it the end, or is it the beginning? It all depends on what you are focusing on. Let it be clear: negative emotions will be the main reason for your failures.
A sure formula for defeat is to focus on what you don’t have, what you cannot control, and the past that you cannot change.
And the formula for success is to focus on what you have and be grateful for it. Focus only on what is under your control, and develop a compelling vision for your future.
Anyone can change: you just have to decide to do it. You can acquire the character to overcome problems and do unbelievable things. You can see the world with different eyes and see possibilities that others cannot see. You can do something others cannot or don’t want to do.
Learn to control how you respond to adversity and decide that you won’t allow problems to drag you down. Step up to develop the tools to succeed and have a positive impact in this world.
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”-Charles F Kettering
Set an example:
You can be an example of someone that attempts the impossible. That has a dream to achieve, even if the road ahead seems complicated and full of obstacles.
Everyone has capacities and unique abilities. If you are creative, know how to persevere, and focus on what you can control and know how to take action, there is no end to what you can achieve.
Are you willing to live for something greater than yourself? A leader doesn’t follow what the culture tells them, but a true leader creates their own.
Remember, you are not the victim of your circumstances, and the environment does not control you. The real control is in what is inside of you: your faith and your skills.
Find a higher meaning! Your only limits are the ones you impose upon yourself.
Vitin Landivar. Originally Published in www.habitsofsuccess.org