.paper motives.

.focus.

.at the age of seven i remember my siblings getting eye tests from our air force optometrist because they were experiencing headaches, dizziness,squinting, nausea and failure in both sports and academics.it turned out that six out of six of them were prescribed an individual pair of glasses to correct their optical vision.an easy, yet expensive solution with invaluable (if not unfathomable) returns for generations to come.naturally then, when my turn came to receive my exam? I too wanted perfect vision.i may not have needed it at the time but I wasn’t about to risk it.so i lied and got my pair of focus assisters as well.

.whether it be a literal, optical focus or an internal fixation focus—a life without focus is downright near impossible to live,causing side-effects and detriment to our progression.theres a reason why a chicken runs around when it’s had it’s head chopped off….too graphic?well then just apply it to you.ever been grocery shopping without a list of things to buy? or were distracted by hunger?ever tried to plan a vacation without planning?have you ever had an aimless workout at the gym?or went on a date that was played by “ear”?or the most common of all- have you ever gone to work without a specific goal/task to achieve?this isnt to say however, that an outcome won’t be had in these situations, BUT I am saying that the BEST possible outcome definitely will not be had. A life without focus is not just hard! it is also a life devoid of meaning, poor interpretation of purpose, and compounded with excessive confusion.it’s a life bereft of accomplishment…or better stated as….pointlessness. (which creates complacency, a blog for another day).how depressing.how many depressed days had bad vision at the root?.

.like the contact lenses of our physical focus—-our personal focus needs washing,changing and accounting for (and disposal if necessary) at the close of each day.in the morning, they must be donned again in new light so we can start again in pursuing a course that would uplift, bolster, inspire and change us.ultimately, so we can see what makes us happy.

.so the next time your life gets a little out of focus, and you lose your balance.equilibrium.coherency.or just plain happiness.it may pay to see a trusted optometrist (friend, partner, loved one, family member) and get that needed prescription to adjust your sights via higher intensity.sure you might look a little nerdy or even be labeled a geek with your focus lenses on, but once the days of high school are past—-everyone will want what you’ve got anyway.focus.style.and a life that just doesn’t seem as hard because every difficulty to you, now has its purpose.

.the journey.

.remember the last trip you took with your family as a child?the time you guys spent in the car.on the plane.in the airports, the hotel lobby or even the queue at disneyland?remember how long those moments seemed?and how short the moment lasted for which all the waiting was spent?the ride, the hamburger, the stay at the perfect hotel, the sunrise, the laughs, the vacation- all for it to culminate into a trip home, the return to reality and another six months of accruing holiday time or another semester endured until summer vacation comes again?…*sigh.

.there are so many things in our lives that are like the family vacation.hours spent at the office for a bosses approving nod, time spent cleaning a house for it to be wrecked in seconds upon the children’s return, investments in the practice room of your hobby only to misplace a finger and lose your intonation at the moment of truth on stage at the recital.if we were to put all of our eggs in the basket of our purpose we would live very disappointed lives.so how do we overcome this??! We Find Joy In The Journey- and Summation In Success.its not all about the minute spent posing or the weekend in hawaii.its about the investment of our wills, enjoyment in activity and fulfillment in the relationships built along the way.in the ideal this seems an easy perspective, but it only becomes such if we learn not to weigh so much in to the fruits of our labors but rather invest in the labor. The hours, the minutes, days and the large percentage of our time.

.so next time you wonder whether you can do it, whether you will win, whether you will achieve what no one has accomplished before you or even if you will be deemed a person of merit in your respective field- try changing your focus.am I enjoying this?is this what I love to do?what am I learning and who am I helping and being helped from? Chances are your journey will become the cake and the arriving point will be the icing that made the base that much sweeter.

.heart.

.how does one approach a topic of such individual merit but of such universal worth without making it sound single
perspective?i will give my interpretation of what I feel is the single self-sustaining attribute that I have to be grateful for and have been blessed that it has taken me through so much in my life, especially in regards to fitness.

.all mankind is capable of learning at a level plane.some will require more dedication and effort to understand and reach principles of learning than others.but in end case study- anyone can learn to play the piano like Mozart, if they invest sufficiently in the deficiency.

.the Trouble with the above statement is not in the truthfulness of it- it is in the personal belief and accurate assessment of deficiency to becoming like the person we aspire to be.this is where heart comes in.a person with heart is not simply someone who swing moans like monica seles or shouts “light weight” like ronnie coleman in the gym.its not even the violinist who cries at the sound of itzhak perlamann playing Telemann.it is evidenced in the individual who believes.believes in their ability.believes in their progress.in their shortcomings and in their ability to rise above them.and lastly it is evidenced in the guy who recognizes his deficiency to become like his vision so well that nothing will stop him from achieving that dream.as quickly as possible.

.all around you there are gems, kingdoms, palaces, treasures and gold.it is at your disposal to use, accumulate and enjoy.but having these
things makes no man a king.it is heart.

.courage.

.theres a lot to be said about this seemingly see-saw strength.is it just me or does it feel like it comes and goes?i wager to say this is the case because we are in a constant tug-o-war with comfort and change.it takes courage to climb.everyone has a level of height that triggers acrophobia.so how do we monitor the levels of courage within ourselves?it takes honest and stern personal evaluation.daily.each time you wake up you choose the forward projection of your day.is it going up or forward?is it speeding up or in cruise control?is it going to be a new experience or will it be the readied response to the cliche colleague conversation opener “same sh#% different day?”.i dare you to respond tomorrow “better sh&$, better day”.come on!after all.one day you may have no more days with sh$& in them.

.commitment.

.in line with a blog request from a dear friend in fitness i’ve chosen to blog on the antithesis of commitment…frustration!.it is not uncommon in the course of completing a commitment that you will experience frustration.it comes in any form of decision dilemma inducing perphenalia;your diet, the figures (both of them), or the fitness requirement itself.but, more detrimentally, it can cause delay from the inside through inability to balance responsibility, mental weakness, jealousy, self pity, dishonest accountability and funnily enough - pride.this is why it is so important to begin with a strong enough goal that when frustration arises your future vision can counter-act it.you eat your meals because you want to win that comp.you train for strength so you can make that team.you break past that heart barrier so you can win that race.without a real end in sight you will never have a real start because you will keep repositioning yourself to meet varying ends.however, the days of reading choose-your-own-adventure novels is past.life is too short to keep starting back to the front reading through several years of the same pages to then arrive at the self-same turning point all so you can select the third and last door!third time is a charm is not a sentence of hope!its an expression of wasted time!.frustration is real.however,when put in perspective of its true villany (to rob you as long as possible of needed success and happiness) you will NOT let frustration delay you.stick to it!the path you’ve committed to is the right one!turn off those “are we there yet”back seat voices in your head.and keep on trucking.because the prospect of reaching that “point of no return”,in this one instance,is actually a good thing!