What We Focus On Expands
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind.”
As a teacher, I learnt very quickly that times tables, and repetitive learning of information would not catch the attention of my students, and I decided to adopt the lost art of storytelling back into my lessons. I was filled with joy to see the students sitting forward listening in their chairs and asking questions and pondering some of the very important questions of life. This taught me very quickly that there is always more than one way to look at a situation and sometimes it is worth looking outside of the box to get the answer that we need.
Often life can seem like it is moving very quickly, with lots of decisions, yet very few real options. This is where we really must take the time to take a few deep breaths and in fact give ourselves the space and time to reflect on the important aspects of life.
When thinking about the Mind and Meaning Pillar of Life, to find what we are passionate about and gives us purpose, I always think that two things are going to set us in good stead: Our attitude and our want to understand ourselves and the world that we live in.
Our experience and what gives us pleasure will be greatly shaped through the colour ‘glasses’ that we are looking at the world through (if you have grey glasses on, everything will look grey! What a dull view on life indeed.)
When I think about attitude it reminds me of a story about two travelers and a monk.
One day a traveler was walking along a road on his journey from one village to another. As he walked he noticed a monk tending the ground in the fields beside the road. The monk said "Good day" to the traveler, and the traveler nodded to the monk. The traveler then turned to the monk and said, "Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Not at all," replied the monk.
“I am traveling from the village in the mountains to the village in the valley and I was wondering if you knew what it is like in the village in the valley?"
"Tell me," said the monk, "What was your experience of the village in the mountains?"
"Dreadful," replied the traveler, "to be honest I am glad to be away from there. I found the people most unwelcoming. When I first arrived I was greeted coldly. I was never made to feel part of the village no matter how hard I tried. The villagers keep very much to themselves, they don't take kindly to strangers. So tell me, what can I expect in the village in the valley?"
"I am sorry to tell you," said the monk, "but I think your experience will be much the same there".
The traveler hung his head despondently and walked on. A while later another traveler was journeying down the same road and he also came upon the monk."I'm going to the village in the valley," said the second traveler, "Do you know what it is like?"
"I do," replied the monk "But first tell me - where have you come from?"
"I've come from the village in the mountains."
"And how was that?"
"It was a wonderful experience. I would have stayed if I could but I am committed to traveling on. I felt as though I was a member of the family in the village. The elders gave me much advice, the children laughed and joked with me and people were generally kind and generous. I am sad to have left there. It will always hold special memories for me. And what of the village in the valley?" he asked again.
"I think you will find it much the same" replied the monk, "Good day to you".
"Good day and thank you," the traveler replied, smiled, and journeyed on.
Your Attitude Will Make or Break You!
Point to Ponder:
'Sharpen Your Axe' Exercise:
There is a quote that states: “As we think, so shall we be.” Which is really just saying that whatever we spend time thinking about, we draw to us. So this said, it is important to know what is important to us and spend time thinking and planning for these things.
Ask your self these questions:
- What are my ambitions and dreams?
- What skills do I want to develop more fully?
- What are the five most important things to me?
I am a big believer in journal writing/drawing. Keeping a special folder or notepad to jot down your thoughts, dreams, feelings, concerns, ideas, or opinions. This can be a great way to gain clarity, problem solve and discover your true wants and needs. If you would like to learn more about journal writing, then you can go to our 'resources' section of our website and download our free gift to you: 4u2xplore Journaling workbook
When one spreads the positivity, its impact is felt beyond the vicinity!!
What positive action are you going to take today?