Let’s face it, life will never be exactly as you’d like it to be. Or not for long anyway. There will always be things you’d like to be different.
To have less on your plate or more certainty about your future. To have fewer bills to pay or more support from your partner, boss, family or friends. For your family to live closer… or further away. For your kids to grow up a bit… or to stop growing up so fast.
Such is life.
There’ve been countless times I’ve caught myself focusing on what is missing, on what isn’t right, on what ‘should’ be different.
Not once have those thoughts made me feel better. That’s because when we focus on what isn’t just ‘right’ in our lives, it amplifies negativity, steals joy and keeps us from doing what we can to make our lives better.
Over the last few days I invited the nearly 40 women who bravely showed up to my first Live Brave Women’s Weekend to “take a look at how they were looking at their lives”, at what they were focusing on, on the story they were telling themselves about it and how that was getting in the way of them using their time, talents and opportunities to chart a braver, better and more rewarding path forward – in their work, relationships and lives.
It was a magical weekend, filled with empowering (and very real) conversations, lots of laughing, plenty of dancing and at times, a few tears.
Sometimes when we pause from our busyness and get truly present to this precious, fragile and finite journey we call ‘life’, tears flow.
Tears of sadness we’ve not allowed ourselves to cry. Tears of joy we have not allowed ourselves to feel. Tears of relief for letting go a hurt or belief that’s imprisoned us. Tears of gratitude for the people who have blessed our lives. Tears of awe as we connect with our innate power – to rewrite our story, to reimagine our future and to step through our fear toward all that inspires us most deeply…. despite our doubts and all that isn’t ‘quite right’ in our world.
So let me ask you… where do you need to shift your focus? Where do you need to let go whatever complaints, justifications, blame or beliefs you’ve been holding on to that are keeping you from taking full (100%) ownership of your future and experiencing greater joy in your life… right now… for all that is right and for all that isn’t?!
One day you will look back on your life “that was.” Chances are you will wish you’d savored more of those imperfect ordinary moments of your life and hadn’t spent so much time dwelling on thoughts that didn’t lift you up or move you forward.
Life. Is. Short.
Focus on what you want more of in your life.
- Focus on what lifts you up.
- Focus on all that you have done.
- Focus on what brings out your best.
- Focus on the best in others.
- Focus on what’s good in your life.
- Focus on the gifts your problems hold.
- Then focus on the opportunity right in front of you to be braver than you would have been otherwise.
What you focus on expands.
Let me know what you’re going to focus on by sharing a comment below.
