If you sometimes feel as though you’re caught in life’s quicksand, you have a lot of company. As human beings, we work, we struggle, and we try to do everything possible to move on to a higher level of well-being. However, sometimes the harder we work, the more stuck we get. If this sounds familiar, your might want to try changing your focus!
Changing Your Focus – Look Beyond Yourself
Did anyone ever tell you, “Don’t pop a pimple”? Well, there is a reason for it! According to the Dermatology Center of Northwest Houston, “Many people who have pimples think that popping them will help the bumps go away. However, popping or squeezing pimples can actually worsen your condition. Pressing on pimples can force bad bacteria and pus deeper into your skin. This can lead to increased swelling and redness in the area that makes pimples more noticeable. In some cases, trying to squeeze away pimples can cause a painful infection. You can also end up with scabs or scars. Some scars may be raised while others may appear as pits in your skin. Either type of scar can be permanent.”
What does this have to do with changing your focus? Well, if you are constantly focused on yourself, you might aggravate the situation (much like aggravating a pimple). That said, when you feel stuck, it’s best to focus on others and how you can benefit them!
We frequently become so over-focused on ourselves and our own personal well-being that we wind up building huge walls. We lose the ability – or even desire – to see the bigger picture and the possibilities that life presents to us. We become so focused on “me” that we sometimes begin scrutinizing even the most insignificant events to determine their potential impact on our personal lives. We become victims of ourselves and frankly, we become so busy being busy that we lose track of where we thought we wanted our lives to wind up in the first place.
That said, it might be a great time to stop focussing on “me” and start focusing on “others”. From being the receiver to being the giver. And no, I’m not even implying that this requires any major change in the things we do every day. It may eventually lead to that but it’s not a critical part of the initial process.
Focusing on Others
No matter what you do to earn a living or keep the household moving in a logical direction, somewhere down the line a real person will probably benefit from what you do. Think about it. The work we do is not just to stuff computer systems full of information or help machines work better. It’s not just to take people’s money so we’ll have a paycheck at the end of the week. It’s not just filling out forms, nailing pieces of boards together, assembling electronic devices, hauling packages, going to meetings, etc. Somewhere, sometime (and maybe immediately) another human being will likely be positively affected by what you do.
You may have noticed that I’ve used a couple of “cop-out words” in the preceding paragraph – “likely” and “probably”. I had to do that because in the real world there are some individuals whose money-making efforts are focused mainly on “non-beneficial” activities. That’s just the way the world is.
For the rest of us, however, our activities and work generally reflect a more positive endeavor. That leads us back to the original suggestion. If you are caught in quicksand, take a few minutes to really think about the people – the individuals who will be better off, healthier, or happier because of what you do. Think about how you are giving of your time and talents so that others will profit in some way from your efforts.
Do you see what can happen here? When we change our focus from “me” to “others”, our work – the things we do every day – will take on new significance. We are now a giver. Our life honestly is meaningful. We know that what we do is truly important to someone else.
Final Thoughts
If you’re having to really stretch your imagination to see at least one other person benefiting from the things you do and it’s really not fitting together, you might consider coaching! Click here to schedule your free coaching session!
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