Focus is a life skill that many of us live without. I know I have in the past. What about you?
“My friend Joe Mathews shared a poignant story with me recently. His best friend’s wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a short time to live. Joe said he watched in awe as Dan and his wife, Christine, began to live each day with tremendous clarity and love. When it was nearly the end Joe finally got up the courage to ask Christine the question: ‘What does it feel like to live each day knowing you are dying?’ She raised herself up on one arm, and then asked him, ‘Joe, what does it feel like to live each day pretending that you are not?”
“One of the most powerful questions for focusing is asking yourself: “What would I be doing with my time if I knew I had only six healthy months to live?” It immediately causes you to recognize your priorities.”
Focus is the beginning of power.
I read the above words from a book by Laurie Beth Jones. Focus is an amazing thing. Without it we can find that minutes, hours, years, or even a lifetime has gone by while we are still trying to figure out what we want to be when we grow up.
[Tweet “It’s never too late to start all over again, but just make sure you do.”]
2014 is coming to an end. That’s a sure bet. And before you know it 2015 will be half over. How is it we take so many things for granted? Time being one of the biggest things. Relationships too, but I’ve written about that a few times already. I bet I will again. 😉
My husband had a small stroke a few weeks ago. That changes everything. Well, it does and it doesn’t. It helped to solidify for me that life can change in an instant. I have a different perspective on a few issues I’m currently working through, and his stroke has aided in looking at things in a different light. Not that it changed anything. It didn’t. But life does changes, sometimes for the better, and sometimes not. Having focus and keeping it is a good way to conduct the everyday things.
To focus can be a challenge, especially when things get difficult, but to do so brings clarity of mind, which leads to peace. I don’t know about you, but if I have an option, I will always choose peace over chaos in my life and relationships.
[Tweet “Why do we live life as if we aren’t dying?”]
I don’t mean that in a flippant or morbid way. I mean it in a focused way, an intentional living way.
What’s stopping you from finding your purpose and staying focused and living your life intentionally?
That was one I needed to read! Since my children have grown and gone I have tended to float along without much focus. I want to have more of a focus because I don’t want to lose perspective on my life. Well written!
I needed it to. Focus is hard for me. I run from here to yon.