Focus on what you want

What you focus on grows.  I genuinely believe that.  Do you?

I want to have a growth mindset and I bet you do too.    We get to decide what our mindset is.  If we find it is not working for us, we can change it.

The other day, I woke up with a phrase in my head.  I had to write it down and then research it because I had no idea why it was on my mind.  The words were….

“We bring about what we think about”.

Think about what you’re thinking about

Then I had to stop and think about what I had been thinking about lately…lol!  It hit me like a ton of bricks.

I instantly knew why those words were on my mind.  Some of my thoughts recently have not been that great, honestly.  This was the reminder that I needed to get rid of my stinkin’ thinkin’ if I want to grow personally and professionally.

Do you ever just let something fester and then work it over and over in your mind and pretty soon that negative thought can become all-consuming and puts a taint on the way you view other things that come into your world.

The mind is a powerful thing!

What you focus on grows good or bad.

We can fill our mind with things that result in a life filled with anxiety, bitterness, fear, envy, procrastination, lack of courage or confidence and settling for what the day brings to us.  Or we can fill our mind with things that result in living an empowered life, working towards our goals with courage and gaining confidence.

It is so important that our thought life is in line with what we want to grow.  That means taking control over what we think about.

When I was raising the kids, I would remind them to be careful what they put into their mind…..

I am quite sure you don’t want to “grow garbage” in the world, or in your life, so don’t put other’s negative views or opinion into your mind.  You are in control, friend.

How to get focused on what you want to grow

Vision Board

I have done vision boards for many years.  That may be uncomfortable for some of you, but I like the visual cues to shift my mind.  It really is helpful for me to visualize goals that I am striving for and they aren’t all materialistic either 😊.

Written Goals

In addition to a vision board, I also write down goals for my year.

According to Forbes, you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.

Training the Mind

Once you determine what you want to grow, you need to focus on things that will get you there.

• Read encouraging and uplifting books.  I am reading a book right now called, Switch on Your Brain by Dr Caroline Leaf.  Her research is in cognitive neuroscience.  She writes about how we think and the impact of thinking on what we say and do.

Dr Leaf studies neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity means that the brain is malleable and adaptable. The brain can change because of our mental activity, according to Dr Leaf’s research.    Whatever we think about the most will grow, whether it be positive, or negative.

• Listen to podcasts that are encouraging and motivational and align with your world view and goals.
• Start a gratitude journal and only write down things that are positive and things that bring you joy. It is almost impossible to be in a negative mindset when you are focusing on good and positive.

We are bombarded with so much negative input, obstacles are often put in our paths.  Some of us may have some bad memories from experiences we have lived through.  We cannot control the fact that these things have happened, but we can create new thoughts that are not negative or toxic to the life we want to live.

When I am thinking of growing, I think of gardening.  For my garden to grow, I must plant seeds and then focus on my garden and provide it what it needs, like water.  I must also take out the weeds, so the plants have space to grow, blossom and thrive.

Now, using that example, if you want to grow {for example another stream of income}, you are going to need to plant that seed in your mind and do what’s needed to make that seed grow. You are going to need to remove “weeds” from your mind so that the seed can grow, blossom, and thrive!

Set Boundaries

Set boundaries on what you allow to take up precious real estate in your mind.   Allowing toxic people or situations will stunt the growth.    Toxic is defined as poisonous substances.  If you leave conversations, or scroll through your newsfeed, and leave feeling drained, or emotionally exhausted, you are dealing with toxicity.

If you agree with Mark Twain’s quote here, and your mind is where you spend most of your time, why allow toxicity into your life? 

Cut it out! 

You have the power to do that.

There are times where it is very difficult to be able to completely remove yourself from a person that is toxic to you.  Try to address your concerns, with love.  If that does not work, cut way back on contact.

Conclusion

We are living in challenging and hard times.  Life can really stink right now.  You may have good reason to be negative or discouraged.  You may need to feel those emotions but try the best you can to set a timer on your pity party.  Please understand I am not belittling what you are going through, or feeling, at all.  But it is dangerous to get stuck in a negative mindset.  Nothing good will come from that.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the bible and it says:

… you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditate on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious— the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly, things to praise, not things to curse”

These words are written by a man named Paul.  He was not sitting on a beach or writing in front of a cozy fire, when he penned these words.  He was in jail!  Imagine the things that could have been going through his mind then.  He was probably hungry, dirty, lonely, sad, maybe depressed, but he chose to write words of encouragement, and not complaints because he understood way back then the effects our thoughts can have on our life.

If you want to have success with a growth mindset, you need to start by paying attention to what you allow to fill your mind.

If you know someone that may be able to use this, please share <3