”Success at anything will always come down to this: Focus and Effort. And we control both.”
-Dwayne Johnson
Have you ever felt like life was going at a million miles per hour and you were emotionally being tossed all over the place? That’s what some parts of this year have felt life for me. I’ve noticed how easy it is to get overwhelmed when you’re focused on so many things, especially things that you can’t control. But, by taking the time to refocus your energy and effort on the controllable things in your life you’ll be able to remain at peace even in the mist of uncertainty.
I was recently reflecting on what a roller coaster of a year twenty twenty has been, and how it’s so easy to become fearful, anxious, stressed and overwhelmed with the way life is and how different this new normal has become. I would have never imagined that this year the entire world be faced with a pandemic that has changed the course of life for so many people. I remember my experience with Covid-19 and spending seven weeks in quarantine all alone and the many questions I had in my mind. My focus was all over the place I was worried, fearful, anxious, stressed but once I stopped focusing on the things I couldn’t control everything changed for me. I couldn’t control how long I would be quarantined, or how my body would respond to the virus, etc. But I could control how I took care of myself and what I did while I was quarantined.
When I started to journal, reflect, read books, pray, practice self care, grow in my relationship with God I felt better mentally and emotionally. One thing my time in quarantine helped me to remember is that, “You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond. This week was such a busy week for me. I felt all over the place with the everyday stresses of life, plus celebrating three of my family member birthday’s in one week. It was allot of fun but at the same time it was exhausting on top of the everyday life routines. My experiences this week cause me to stop and remember to focus on the things that are within my control and trust God to handle the rest.
When I took time to stop and refocus my energy and attention I started to feel at peace. As I focused on the controllable of this week I was able to process, truly trust God and have peace with knowing my attention, energy and effort were focused on the right things. Think about the things that you are currently focusing on. How are they making you feel? What are the controllable things you can do? What is completely out of your control? Imagine the difference of what focusing on the controllable things in your life would do.
I want to encourage you to take time to focus on the controllable things of your week. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when your focus is all over the place. Remember that you can’t control everything that happens, but you can control what you do and your response. If you are feeling overwhelmed I want to encourage you to remember that this is only a season and this too shall pass. So stay focused and use your effort and energy to do what is within your control and trust God who knows all things to take care of the rest.
Thanks for reading! I hope this encouraged you. What’s one thing you are committed to focusing on this week? What’s one thing this year has taught you? Comment below I would love to hear your story.
People do not decide their future. They decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.
-FM Alexander
Intentional Hope 