You rarely get to choose your circumstances. You can’t stop world hunger, pandemics, or global economic conditions. But you can choose your focus.
Think of your focus as a kind of currency. You can literally only have one conscious thought at a time, so in each and every moment, you get to decide what you’ll spend that moment’s mental energy on.
Choose Your Focus
There are thoughts that you consume or receive, such as when you watch television, listen to music or a sermon, or read a book. When you consume information or entertainment, your focus is absorbed in whatever message is coming in.
Then there are the thoughts that run around in your mind when you’re not consuming anything. You’re just processing, or reflecting, or praying, or having those inner conversations with yourself. And yes, these two kinds of thoughts often happen right alongside each other as you interpret what your senses are taking in.
And here’s the kicker: what you choose to focus on affects your emotions, your mood, your worldview, your sense of self, your intentions, your motives, and your decisions. In other words, what you focus on matters a lot.
