The Right Focus
Not Every Thing is My Business
I got caught. I read the headline which led to me reading the story which forced me to read the comments. I struggled to find what was worse – the misleading title, the lack of research of the facts, or the blind belief that other readers confessed.
Ugh.
Why? Why do I let them pull me in?
They are only trying to stir things up to keep me from focusing on the important things.
[tweetthis]THEY seek to stir up the negatives to distract me from my possibilities. Keep the right #focus[/tweetthis]
Tips for Keeping the Right Focus
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1. Does it affect me directly? I feel for the people in the story – I really do – but I also feel for the people living next door to me and down the road from me and all the other stories of woe. I am not in a position to fix the situation. Complaining about it will not fix the situation. Accepting this one idea can be the best way for me to keep the right focus.
2. Is there a better place for me to invest my resources? Complaining (even in writing) about a story on the news will stir up my emotions but that will only leave me annoyed and frustrated. If I take that same energy and put it into my neighbor – or my family – then I can make a difference.
3. Is it true? Not everything I read about or hear about is true and not everything that I read about or hear about is mostly true. Taking a few minutes to research the source and to dig into the history of the story can do a LOT to alleviate the wrong focus.
4. Is there an agenda behind the story? A true story can be tainted by the reason the story is told. Looking around the story can help me understand the story a little better.
5. Does the story detract from my own walk and purpose? My unique design is for me to follow. There are times when things will draw my attention and that is fine as long as it does not keep me from focusing on my purpose.
They will keep trying to draw my attention – it is not so much about news as it is about entertainment or at least about drawing the most eyes to gain the advertising dollars. It sounds tacky and it is – but it is my choice to get caught up in the tacky or to stick to the better focus.
Be blessed,
