When you “pay attention” to something, have you ever noticed it growing bigger in most aspects of your life? Problems, goals, feelings, etc. all expand when you focus more on each.
This simple yet profound idea is a constant source of material for philosophers, psychologists, and clergy alike. And for a good reason. When you understand and apply this principle, you will transform your mindset, productivity, and overall well-being.
Dr. Jason Selk, who I am sure I have mentioned in these pages several times before, writes about a similar idea in his book Relentless Solution Focus. While Selk’s concern is that our focus as humans tends to be on the problems and negatives in our lives, in the above case, I’m talking about anything you focus on.
Selk calls his concept Problem Centric Thinking (PCT) and says humans are naturally wired for this way of thinking because their ancestors needed to be hyper-aware of all threats and dangers in their environment just to survive. Our cognitive biases, therefore, lean toward noticing and dwelling on problems.
It’s “natural.” That’s the bad news.
The good news is that Selk has an entire system to address this—to go from PCT to Relentless Solution Focus (RSF). You can find it in his book, Relentless Solution Focus, and see the theory at work in the rest of his publicly available work.
Anyhow, long way of saying that our brains are wired to prioritize the things we pay attention to. When you focus on something, your brain activates neural pathways relating to that subject and thus what you’re thinking about becomes more prominent in your thoughts and actions.
Some folks call this phenomenon the Reticular Activating System (RAS) —filtering information and highlighting what your brain senses as important. This is similar, but slightly different from the concept of PCT.
Selk’s RSF addresses both issues by having you intentionally shift your focus toward solutions.
Think about it, when you are thinking about buying a new car, you suddenly start noticing that car all over the place. You find that there are all these new car ads out there on TV, online, or in magazines. The reality is that there is no statistical difference, but your brain starts paying attention to all this “car stuff.”
Next time you go for a drive, try counting how many red cars there are on the road. You will likely forget to notice most of the cars that aren’t red. They’ll be there, but you’re not paying any special attention to them.
Or you could also focus on the guy who cut you off and was a jerk to you at the intersection. Start dwelling on that and the bad things and awful thoughts start mushrooming. Best do something positive for a change.
It is selective attention where your focus shapes your own perception of reality. It may sound a little “out there,” but this is powerful stuff.
So, how can we apply this to our lives in the next few hundred words, rather than spending several hundred pages?
Here are some ways focus shapes your life:
Problems: When you obsess over the latest setback or the upcoming challenge, you will magnify your stress and anxiety. There’s no two ways about it. Your mind will get stuck in a loop of negativity, which makes it difficult to find solutions or see potential opportunities.
Goals (or the phrase we prefer— ‘Imagined Future’): When you concentrate on positive outcomes, you prime your brain to notice the possibilities, resources, and actions that will move you forward. Some people call this “manifesting,” but it’s really much more than that. Focusing on the positive will lead to increased motivation, creativity, and success.
Matter of fact, I had a conversation with a fellow this morning who decided—just last weekend—to simply switch his outlook from negative to positive and he describes himself in a “phenomenally better place” because of it. This stuff works.
Gratitude and Humility: Be thankful for the things that are going well. When you shift your attention to the good things that are happening, there are usually more feelings of happiness and contentment. It improves mental health and relationships as well.
Practical tips to harness your power of focus:
Be mindful. Not this “mindfulness” garbage that self-help gurus want to peddle but pay attention to where your mind is going. If your mind starts drifting into negativity, acknowledge that and allow those thoughts in, but only allow them to last for a few seconds. Then shift your thoughts toward positivity.
Set clear intentions. Define three things: Who are you? Where do you want to be? How are you going to get there? Write them down. Reflect, revisit, and revise as necessary.
Limit negative inputs. Get rid of sources that trigger you, whether that is “news,” social media, toxic conversations, or environments that don’t allow you to thrive. Surround yourself, instead, with influences that uplift you.
Vizualize or “imagine.” Be conscious of your imagined future. Make it vivid. This will strengthen your focus and align your subconscious with your imagined future.
Prayer. Try it. Prayer is simple and natural.
Your attention is one of your most valuable resources. When you consciously choose where you will direct your focus, you will cultivate a life of growth, positivity, and achievement.
Next time you start thinking negatively or are overwhelmed in some respect, allow it to happen, but then cut it off at the knees, shift your focus, and watch what grows.
These are some of the topics we discuss and problems we attack in O’Leary’s Inner Sphere. If you want to be a part of higher-level group discussions and are looking for clarity in your personal (or professional life), we may be a fit.
It is not therapy, however. We train our people to take action. Some say we “manifest” good things to happen, but, again, it’s more than that.
My friend, John DeRosa, host of The Classical Theism Podcast, and member of my Inner Sphere, reports, “O’Leary will not allow you to tell yourself, ‘one day I’ll be ready.’ You’ll be doing things that put you in the right direction.”
High praise.
Many such cases.
To learn more: http://OLeary.Coach
As always,
Brian
