Stressed Spelled Backward is DESSERTS

Which way do you want to look at it?

We are guided by two maps:

A vision map— a deliberate plan for our future.
A default map—which is made up from our past.

Our world is a direct result of our focus. There are four factors unconsciously guiding our focus.

1.  You can only focus on one thing at a time.
2.  Avoiding something attracts it to you.
3.  You get more of what you focus on.
4.   In the absence of a positive goal, we tend to focus on what we don’t want.

I have an example from years ago where I learned about focus the hard way. It was an unfortunate mishap when I was learning to skydive. This was so long ago there was no such thing as tandem diving with an instructor. You step out on the plane’s strut and let go all by yourself, hoping to God you remember everything you learned in ground school. It was my first jump. When the instructor gave me the instruction to jump I was paralyzed with anxiety. When he yelled “JUMP” even louder, I still couldn’t let go. Finally realizing I couldn’t climb back in the plane, and the pilot couldn’t land with me hanging onto the wing…I had to let go.

We were supposed to land as near as we could to a target, a big white ‘X’ painted on the ground. Well, it had taken me so long to finally decide to jump that I wasn’t anywhere near the field where the target was. Remember my four focus factors? There was no ‘X’. I had no goal. As I was dropping to earth, I noticed that the field where I would end up was mostly clear…except for a barbed wire fence that ran through it.

The closer I got to landing, the more I focused on avoiding the fence. Focus Factor #3— You get more of what you focus on. Yep. You sure do. With unbelievable accuracy, I landed right on the barbed wire fence!

Let’s look at a model for how much time we are focused on our goal or Forward Focused. Versus how much time we are trying to avoid or protect ourselves from what we don’t want—which inadvertently takes us backward, away from our goal.

Our perspective, our focus determines our attitude. Our attitude determines the outcome. So which way do you want to look at it—stressed or desserts? it’s all up to you.

Chocolate anyone?