Surging Ahead for Success, Issue 10
Tuesday, June 30, 2005
IN THIS ISSUE
*Ready, Aim Focus!
*What Is Your Focus?
Our goals and dreams are the spice which
add purpose and intention into our lives. Without these aims,
we're like a ship without a rudder. We'll be blown around and
will end up off course. We need to sharpen our focus in
order to make our goals and dreams into reality. By
focusing, we're able to watch for opportunities and seize the
moment. Remember, there really is no limit to what you can
accomplish when you focus in on your goals. The
following articles enlarge on this subject matter.
...............June
Ready, Aim, Focus!
by Kathy Paauw, OrgCoach.net
My daughter has recently taken a special
interest in photography, so I am learning a lot about such
things as angles, framing, and focus. In December she took a
close-up picture of a pine tree in our back yard. It was amazing
how much beauty and detail she captured -- detail that I
generally miss when looking at the whole tree. The next photo
she took was of a whole section of our back yard, and it was
equally beautiful. Both photos provided very different
perspectives of our yard.
I realized that there are benefits to both the big picture and
the close-up view of things... in photography and in life. As we
gear up for the New Year, now is a good time to look through the
wide-angle lens at the big picture.
Imagine that our minds are like a camera lens. When we zoom in
on the details, the big picture gets out of focus. And when we
take a wide-angle view, we can see more opportunities and then
choose which actions we'll take to seize those opportunities. A
wide-angle view can provide the motivation needed to focus on
all the details needed to make something happen.
In Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People, Habit #2 is to "Begin with the end in mind." By focusing
on the final outcome first, you can get more clear about what it
would look and feel like if you were already there. This wider
focus makes it easier to see more opportunities and
possibilities than we can see when we only focus on the details.
As I watched the Rose Bowl game on New Year's Day, I realized
that football provides some great analogies for life. Hundreds
of moves and plays are required to reach the goal, yet it is
impossible to plan each play before the game begins. The players
can see the goal -- to win the game -- and they can predict what
the next few plays will be, but they can't figure out the exact
moves they will make by just standing on the sideline. They must
take action and continuously look for their next few moves as
they keep the goal in mind. They stay focused by remaining aware
of where they are and what options are available to them. This
sharp focus makes it possible to seize opportunities as they
arise and ultimately win the game! (Yes, our Washington Huskies
won -- a bittersweet win that the Husky coach dedicated to a
teammate who sustained a paralyzing injury last fall during a
game.)
During the Rose Bowl game I overheard a friend's son ask, "Why
is he running backwards with the ball? Isn't the goal the other
direction?" My friend explained that the football player hoped
to gain yards by running backwards, because he was creating
space so he could throw a long pass. That's bigger picture
thinking!
Sharpen Your Focus
How often do we plow forward with our next move without thinking
about the bigger picture? Take a few minutes to jot down your
response to these questions:
* What are my most important goals or dreams for the coming
year? * What would it look and feel like if I were already
there? * How can I accomplish this with the greatest ease?
Look through your wide-angle lens for the opportunities you may
have previously missed. Be aware of where you are on your
journey and what your next few moves will be. Then take action!
Many of my clients have found that as the New Year wears on they
get lost in the urgencies of day-to-day life and find their New
Year's Resolutions falling by the wayside, only to reappear on
next year's list! According to Woman's Day magazine, almost 25
percent of all New Year's resolutions lose their momentum after
one week. Try the SMART process to keep the momentum going.
The SMART Process
The SMART process is a good way to organize yourself for success
with any intention or resolution. Make goals or choices that
are:
* Specific - Have a crystal clear picture of the desired
outcome. * Measurable - How will you know you have achieved your
desired outcome? How will you measure it? * Achievable - Create
a step-by-step plan to accomplish what you want. * Relevant -
Does this goal fit within the bigger picture (wide-angle view)
of what is most important to you? * Time-bound - What is the
timeline for accomplishing what you want?
Kathy Paauw, President of Paauwerfully Organized, specializes in helping busy executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs declutter their schedules, spaces and minds. She is a certified business/personal coach and professional organizer. Contact her at mailto:orgcoach@gte.net or visit her website at http://www.orgcoach.net and learn how you can Find ANYTHING in 5 Seconds - Guaranteed!
What Is Your Focus?
by Rev. Melissa Leath
What is the main focus in your life? Is it
finding a job, or keeping the one you've got, just to pay the
rent every month? Or is it always searching for that special
someone who can make you happy?
Society has evolved a way of believing, that keeps us always
limited to the physical plane. Stuart Wilde, noted author of The
Winds of Change, among other revolutionary books, tells us of
what he terms 'the tribe'. We all belong to a tribe, so to
speak---a group of peers that we can relate to in some way or
other.
We may be Methodist, Italian, a wood-worker, a member of the
Smith family, a woman, and so on. And each group we belong to
dictates, to a certain extent, what we will think, what we will
wear, where we are to live, how we make a living. It will try to
keep us in a tidy little box.
Whenever we may have a new, never thought of idea, the 'tribe'
will not allow us to follow through with it. It keeps us close
to what is known. The tribe is threatened by anything unknown.
It keeps everything stable and secure.
A thought outside of the box could ruin the whole paradigm of
the tribe. The very existence of the tribe would be threatened
if things changed too much or too fast.
Being part of the human tribe, keeps us all working very hard
just to make a living. Television and printed media have
produced marketing techniques through commercials, as well as,
through regular programming and news reports that keep our minds
directed at purchasing. All we strive for all day long is to
purchase that which the tribe has determined necessary.
Driven to Succeed
We have now become so driven to succeed in material wealth and
external relationships, that we seem to find no time for our
spiritual growth.
One way to connect and grow with our spiritual self is through
the breath.
The breath is vital to your life. The Creator gave this glorious
gift to you on your birth day. Cherish it. Use it to the best of
your ability. Fill your lungs with the love and joy of the
universe.
Breath is used to relax the body and mind, to take us to a high
state of peace, and create experiences in our lives.
Conspirators in the Breath of Life
It is our God given talent to be able to create our experiences.
Whether we know it or not, our mind is constantly creating for
us what we think. If we recognize our oneness with God, and the
connectedness we have with that God Spirit, we can realize that
we, and God are co- creators or 'conspirators' in the breath of
life. Conspirators? What an odd choice of words. Let me guide
you through a spirit given understanding that I have received.
Genesis 2:7 ‘And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.’
Conspire: a Latin word meaning 'to blow together; harmonizing;
to breathe; to make an agreement or act in harmony'.
Knowing this, we realize that we create just the same as God has
created. Maybe it's on a smaller scale, because we are only
'infants' in the creation process. (We need much more practice
in conscious creation.) Realizing that we are able to create is
the first step in visualizing our own reality.
Every time we take a breath, we are creating our world around
us. You must look at and appreciate your life experiences,
because if you don't, you are just denying your own
existence---your own creation!
Every time there is a problem or challenge in life, we have an
opportunity to change it. Honestly, it can be as simple as
changing your mind.
Although that seems too simplistic, it really is quite powerful.
After recognizing the challenge, we have a moment, when we
breathe, to change our energy.
Taking Time to Breathe
Let's say that your spouse comes into the house, after a bad day
at work. You managed to get home from your job about five
minutes before. Your loved one does not seem so loving, coming
into the house with a headache and complaining that dinner isn't
ready yet.
What do you do? Your day wasn't any easier. Do you jump in to
the moment, arguing your defense? Or do you take a moment to
breathe, re-focus your energy and create a better environment?
There is always a chance to change--to make a different choice.
By taking a breath, it gives the mind a moment to refresh.
This concept can be used in many other levels in your life. You
can create harmony and peaceful vibrations. There could be no
limit to the manifestations available. Use it for deepening
meditation, increasing intuition, creating healing environments,
and with global peace efforts.
The breath can be a key element to society's spiritual
evolution, especially if used in groups of like-minded people.
This is the tool to new beginnings---a new start in the new
millennium.
Rev. Melissa Leath is an intuitive-spiritual medium, metaphysical counselor and author of "The Go-Between: Bridging the Gap." Her new book, "Meditation, Plain and Simple Workbook," is now available. Check her website on how to order or for information about private consultations, workshops and about her guided meditation CD, "Soul of the Universe." 123 Spiritual Growth or call her at 937-323-5346.
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