Photographs are clearer when they are in focus. When they are out of focus, they are blurry, indistinct. How many times have you been disappointed by the result when the focus was off? Faces or objects are blurred, maybe even unrecognizable. Delete that memory for a poor quality picture that does not meet the ideal you had in mind when you took it. Scratch it up to experience. Maybe blame it on the camera or your friends that don’t know how to stand still..
The quality of the reality in your ideal health is also largely due to proper focus.
In the first place, the ideal must be clearly held in mind. The result you desire to out-picture or manifest in your life must first be clearly and distinctly created in your imagination. It must be ‘in focus’; that is, the components must be defined, clearly seen and envisioned.
In the second place, as you go about the ‘doing’ necessary to effectuate the picture, you must remain focused on your goal and not allow yourself to get distracted by life and what is going on around you.
Sounds simple really, but it always amazes me how easy it is to get unfocused. Ask someone to describe their ideal health and life and 90% of the time, you cannot get a clear description from them. It is blurry and indistinct. Generalities but no specifics. Or a description of the picture by what’s not in it.
“I want health, wealth and happiness”
“So what does health mean to you?”
“Well, you know, to not be sick.”
“So what does wealth mean to you?”
“Well, you know, to not be lacking.”
“So what does happiness mean to you?”
“To not be sad, dissatisfied.”
“I want peace.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, you know no more war.”
Not this, not that; defining the picture, the ideal by what is not in it, instead of what is in it. The trouble with focusing on ‘no more war’ is that you are still focusing on war. The trouble with focusing on not being unhealthy is that you are still focusing on unhealthiness, not healthiness. The focus is on lack and limitation and not on abundance and potentiality.
As Mark Twain once said, “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want.”
All most people seem to know is what they do NOT want. Focus your attentions and intentions on those ideals that you want, desire, long for, lust after. Make that focus clear and distinct.
You get the picture you have focused on. “Prosperity is the abundance of all things held ideal in mind and dear in heart.” How clear and exact are your ideals? How much desire, longing, passion is attached to them? How focused is the image in your mind? How focused is your desire to have that ideal health and life you pictured in your mind?
The complex thing about life is that it is wonderfully full of distractions. Here you are, focused on some purpose or goal and then this incredibly intrusive thing occurs.
Perhaps, you are 5 lbs away from you perfect beach body, totally focused on spending the whole summer on the beach. Then this great guy shows up, marries you and before you know it, you are at home practicing motherhood instead of laying on the beaches.
Or perhaps, you are busy going about the business of creating a business and some seemingly major obstacle presents itself, so you change your mind, change your plan, change your focus to the next great business idea and the next one after that.
Life is full of distractions making it easy to lose focus. Winners stay focused. Sometimes they are so focused that you cannot even get their attention.
Funny how that is.
How did Michael Jordan make so many baskets? Focus.
How did Oprah go from a TV Anchor to one of the richest women in the world? Focus.
How dis Steve Jobs create a global empire ? Focus.
Do you want to win the game of healthier life? Get focused. Stay focused.