The What You Focus On You Become Approach

There are many ways to live life. One approach is the follow the rule that:

What you focus on you become.

If you focus on positive things, you are more likely to feel positive. You may do this by having a sense of gratitude, studying success or doing things that lift your spirit.

If you focus on possible solutions, you are more likely to feel optimistic. You may do this by exploring challenges, considering possible ways for then taking steps to achieve success.

If you focus negative things – without exploring solutions – you are more likely to feel negative. Sometimes you may do this by listening to the news or taking poison into your system. This may not help anyone. Let’s explore how you can focus on what you want to become.

Positive Things

What are the positive things you focus on now? You may focus on encouraging your loved ones, appreciating your assets and doing things that give you energy.

Looking ahead, what are the positive things you want to focus on the future? You may want to appreciate life, play inspiring music, pass on knowledge, help others to succeed or do other things that lift your spirits.

What will be the benefits of taking these steps? What are you more likely to feel? What may be the feelings that your transmit to other people? What are you more likely to become?

Possible Solutions

How do you use your energy to find possible solutions to challenges? What are some of the challenges you may face? How do you buy time to reflect, explore the potential options and then take steps to tackle these issues successfully?

Do you spend time learning about how other people find solutions in various fields? You may do this when exploring the topics you find interesting.

You may be interested in wellbeing, education, personal development, sport, business, conflict resolution, climate change or other activities. What do you do to explore how people find solutions to challenges in these areas?

Looking ahead, what do you want to do to focus on possible solutions in the future? What will be the benefits of taking these approach – both for yourself and for other people?

Negative Things

What are some of the negative things you focus on now? How does this affect you? What do you do to try to manage some of the feelings that you may experience?

Some societies assail their people with negative messages. The media reports bad news, whilst the powers-that-be spend their time arguing.

Even the most caring people can become disillusioned. Unfortunately this can also affect people around them. One person expressed this in the following way.

“Ten years ago I changed dramatically. Being a parent, I wanted my children to grow up happily. But then one day I got a shock.

“My son asked me: ‘Is the world going to end?’

“My answer was, ‘Of course not,’ but I wanted to know why he asked the question.

“He had been looking at my doom and gloom environmental magazines. This was also embodied in the mood of despair I sometimes expressed when friends came round for dinner.

“Suddenly I took notice. I wanted to build a happier world, but I was poisoning my own home.

“Now I take magazines that show practical ways we can improve the world, rather than those that fill people with despair.

“It was a tough lesson.”

Looking ahead, how do you want to deal with some of the potential negative things you notice? Different people do this in different ways. Here are some possibilities you may want to consider.

You can, when appropriate, avoid exposing yourself to negative things. There is little point listening to complainers who do not want to talk about solutions.

Much of the news media is still addicted to the old notion that ‘if it bleeds it leads’. Some outlets now specialise in solutions journalism. This goes beyond describing the problem and provides solutions that have achieved success.

You may also want to learn how to manage triggers lead to you feeling depressed or behaving in ways that depress others. As described elsewhere in the book, it is important:

To recognise that the potential triggers that could lead to you going into negative spiral;

To avoid exposing yourself to such triggers;

To learn how to manage the triggers if, despite your best efforts, they do happen.

What we focus on we become. Looking ahead, how do you want to continue: a) to focus on the positive things; b) to focus on possible solutions; What will be the benefits of taking these steps?

If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.