OK so I’m going to get a little philosophical on you here guys… I’ve been reading some great books this week and they have been quite thought provoking so I’m just gonna put it out there how I believe YOU Can Change The World In… in a moment.
I look forward to your active conversation following this one….
I hope you are ready for it… Some of you may not have the gusto or desire do follow what I am suggesting… but here goes.
You have that much power right now, that you can rid the world of crimes, gossip, corruption and international conflict.
To be able to fully use this Power there are a couple of things you will need to do.
Hit the ‘OFF’ button.
Turn OFF your TV
Turn OFF your radio
Turn OFF your newspaper subscription
Watching media that aggregates the most brutal, shocking, heinous and scandalous events of the day can give you a perverted view of the world. Meanwhile millions of beautiful, miraculous,positive and wonderful things happen during the same day that don’t get any attention. It’s incredibly destructive to your spirit and creative potential.
Here is the controversial part…
What I am starting to notice is the difference between THEIR world and MY world.
So I have made a conscious choice to only pay attention now to MY world. Narcissistic as that may seem I have realised that it is only my direct world that I can control. My own thoughts, behaviors, beliefs and experiences. This new focus allows me to feel in control and on top of what I am experiencing in any given moment. To the degree where it has become quite empowering, as opposed to focusing on to the rest of it only makes me feel fearful, frustrated and cynical.
Our biggest gift is that in our lives we have the choice of where we focus our attention. That choice affects my experience of life and determines my potential for positive creativity. I can focus it on the worst of the world or the best. I can focus it on things I can’t do anything about or I can focus on those things that I can effect and that have a direct on my life and those people closest to me.
I’m not interested in the negative, the tall poppy syndrome of society and media hype and scare tactics. I believe in the law of attraction and what you focus on is what you achieve or attract.
So now for the “Yeah butt’s…”
Does that now mean I am sheltered, naive and uninformed?
To be honest I would rather be informed and aware of the areas in life that matter the most and support my personal goals and ambitions. At this stage in my life I cannot justify spending two hours watching every news telecast telling me about the current interest rates, or the armed robbery in the USA. I do not see how it can directly support my health and happiness nor in improve my relationships. Based on this I therefor cannot see how it would work in favor of continued growth and expansion of my business.
Don’t get me wrong… I have plenty of compassion for humanity and plenty of awareness about the economic climate and its impact on business, however there are plenty of other references in my world that offer references for these things without having to look to far outside of myself.
Think of it this way. You are Coaching an executive and they are complaining about not having enough time for personal time, study or his family. You ‘unpack’ their day only to discover they spend 45 minutes in the morning reading the paper, 35 minutes listening to the news – each way to and from work. During the Day they scan MSN News bulletins, perhaps the online Age and catch up on the sports or fashion report. Coming home they listen to the last 15 minutes of the 7 o’clock news as they greet their family and then after sitting down for dinner catch 30 minutes of the 10 o’clock news before going to bed. That’s nearly 3 hours of the ‘same same but different’ mindless, negative, hype, every day.
Perhaps instead they could subscribe to an RSS feed that would only deliver to them the news and broadcasts that support their business, education and life relationships?
This would clear 95% of the time stealing, noise and distraction. From 3 hours down to 20 minutes a day. Imagine the time that now leaves for productive activities: exercise, listening to instructional and inspirational material, reading, planning, preparing, and spending quality time withtheir family.
When I dissected his day he spent 45 minutes in the morning reading the newspaper, another 35 minutes listening to news, both back and forth to work. During his workday, he’d check Yahoo! News several times, spending at least 20 minutes in total. When he got home, he’d catch the last 15 minutes of the local news while greeting his family. Then he’d catch up on 30 minutes of sports news and 30 minutes of the 10 o’clock news before going to bed. In total he was spending 3.5 hours with the news each day! I suggested he keep his TV and radio off, cancel his newspaper subscription, and set up an RSS feed so he could select and receive only the news he deemed important for his business and personal interests.
So if we don’t care who does?
This is a valid point, and I am glad other do care. I would prefer to see it as ‘picking my battles’. Some people pick the human rights battle, some the political, some the homeless and some pick the battle against animal cruelty.
All valid and all important in their own right. All I am saying is pick what really matters to you. If it really matters then you will give your whole heart and soul to make a difference in this area and find it easier to stay focused.
If you take care of that issue for me, I’ll take care of this one for you. That way you can be as productive as you can. Stick to what you care about… not what the 7pm news does, every day.
It all comes down to this—what you give your attention to becomes the reality of your world. Give your attention to scandals, murders, war, fear and brutality and that will program your creative computer and your world around you. Instead, focus your attention on what’s good, wonderful, abundant, wholesome and possible in the world. Focus your attention on ideas, information and knowledge that can help you grow, prosper, create and contribute to making a positive difference based on your unique talent, skills and effort. Turn OFF the rest… it will change your world and your life!
To Your Success,
Kim Rowe
National Student Liaison
