Focus on What’s Working
Excerpt from Stress, Be Gone! by Ann Strong
Whatever we focus on expands, so it makes good sense to put our energy into what’s working. How often have you found yourself complaining about something only to receive a heaping serving of more of the same? I fell into a bad vortex with the phone company for quite some time before deciding to end (thus, win) the war. I’ve learned that sometimes what works best is changing long distance carriers. I have also found that when I notice a courteous driver, I encounter a string of them.
So what’s working in your life? How can you apply the same principles to areas you would like to improve? How can you take the path of least resistance while still operating within your own integrity? How can you turn an inconvenience into an opportunity?
I have a pet peeve about people who leave their grocery buggies in the middle of the aisle, impeding my progress. Last week, as my annoyance escalated while I waited for a woman to move her cart, I noticed she had just gotten some Power Bars – something I had meant to buy but had forgotten to put on my list. I turned this irritant into a win because I got my Power Bars. As you focus on what’s in front of you, how can it serve you?
Action Steps
If you would like to focus on what’s working:
- begin to train yourself to see the opportunities in every situation.
- the next time you encounter a problem, brainstorm ways you have solved similar problems.
- keep a success journal, a gratitude journal, a strengths journal – whatever holds your focus on you at your best.
“I observed that there were far too many studies of what is wrong with people and too few about what is right with people.”
– Kurt Wright (From the book, “Breaking the Rules”)
