When I was thinking about moving my family to Texas, there were many things to consider before making the final decision. In the meantime, however I felt like everywhere I went I saw all things Texas. Texas license plates, people mentioning Dallas, cowboy hats and armadillos. Ok, so maybe there weren’t cowboy hats and armadillos, but it seemed to me that the topic of Texas was all around me and I definitely noticed a lot more Texas license plates on the road. Was this a sign? Did this mean that I should move? Have you ever had this happen to you? Have you ever had something on your mind and suddenly, that thing was popping up left and right? This is the power of focus.
This type of focus follows messages from its place of origin. When we have an intention and focus on that, we initiate neurons in the neocortex area which creates synapse connections that are then relayed to the reticular activating system (RAS). This area of the brain (RAS), initiates circuitry connections to the subconscious mind to locate files registered in the brain from previous thoughts, experiences, emotions and feelings related to the subject’s intention and makes it available to the conscious mind.
The subconscious mind is responsible for a staggering 95% of all brain activity. This means that without even being aware of it, you make the majority of your decisions based on the subconscious. You can think of your subconscious mind as a library full of books about your beliefs, habits, experiences, implicit memories and aptitudes. When you consciously ask yourself a question, (Like, “Should I move to Texas?”, in my case) your brain will then work on filtering information from your personal library, much like a library catalog system searches for books based on the inquiry criteria. In my situation this lead my subconscious mind to find anything related to Texas and bring it to my conscious awareness.
Those Texas license plates would have been there regardless of whether or not I was thinking of moving to Texas. However, I was so focused on Texas that my mind, as the amazing organ that it is, scanned my environment for any and everything that had to do with Texas. Why do I share this story? To illustrate that everyday we make decisions on what we are going to focus on whether we realize it or not. Once you can start to consciously be aware of what your focus is and decide what you want to focus on, your ability to have the quality of life you want, will be unlocked. This is regardless of whatever circumstances are around you. Russell M. Nelson said:
“…the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”
Let me give you an example. Bethany Hamilton is an American professional surfer that had a tragic thing happen in her life at the young age of 13. She suffered an attack by a 14-foot tiger shark which severed her left arm just below the shoulder. I cannot imagine all the things that must have gone through her mind after the attack, but one thing I can be sure of. She did not focus on what she could not do, but rather focused on what she wanted to accomplish. This focus led to her returning to the water and surfboard only 1 month after the attack. Not only did she teach herself how to surf with only 1 arm, but she became great at it and has competed professionally. While this example is extreme, it demonstrates the human mind’s’ incredible power of focus to accomplish the greatest desires of the heart.
So, how can you harness the incredible power of focus and intention to accomplish what you want in life? The answer may seem simplistic, but it all comes down to training your mind. People tend to be very much aware of their physical surroundings and the physical state of their body, but the mind, sometimes takes a back seat to being properly trained. Now I’m not referring to academic training (although that is, of course great for the mind). I’m sure you have met people that are very smart academically, yet suffer and are unhappy with life. The kind of training I’m referring to is learning how to intentionally focus. Phytotherapi has developed protocols to help teach this skill over a period of time so that it becomes a habit. Just like any habit, it is something that needs to be practiced daily.
In life, for better or worse, we get what we focus on. In other words, if we are focusing on the negative we will continue to see the negative. If we focus on the good around us, we will continue to see the good. This ability of the mind to focus on what we want it to is the reason why two people can go through the exact same experience, but have completely different attitudes about it. There’s a story I heard of a family traveling through the desert to a new home. One brother complained the whole time about how hard the journey was, while the other only saw the blessings along the way. Our lives will in large part be determined by what we choose to focus on.