Where are you putting your attention?
What you focus on shapes how you feel and what you do.
During moments of emotional challenge, check in with yourself:
🤔 Where am I putting my attention?
Almost everything we experience has both good and bad sides. We naturally tend to focus more on the negative, such as mistakes we’ve made, failures, the things we want but don’t yet have, perceived flaws in others, and negative news. Where we place our attention shapes how we feel and what we do. Focusing on the negative can distort our view of reality, making life feel heavier than it really is. It often leaves us feeling stressed, frustrated, anxious, or discouraged. These feelings can cause us to withdraw, act defensively, or avoid taking positive steps forward. Noticing this pattern is the first step toward shifting our attention toward what helps us feel better and take more constructive action.
Focusing on the positive means seeing the whole picture, not just the darker sides. We can notice encouraging aspects, such as what we’ve done well, successes, the things we have, strengths in others, and news of kindness and progress. When we pay attention to these bright spots, we create a more balanced and helpful view of reality. This often leaves us feeling lighter, more hopeful, calm, and encouraged. This perspective helps us respond instead of react, bringing us closer to the person we want to be.
What we focus on is like choosing a radio station or a movie; it shapes how we feel and act.
We can’t control everything that happens, but we can guide our attention toward what’s most helpful for building the life we want. Try noticing whenever your focus turns to the darker sides and gently shift it toward the bright spots. Shifting attention takes practice, so be patient and kind with yourself. Even small shifts change how we feel and help us move through life with more lightness, energy, and ease. This gives us the motivation to take committed action that aligns with our life purpose, personal values and goals.
Getting into the habit of noticing where your attention goes changes how you experience life. So, during moments of emotional tension, pause and ask yourself:
🤔 Where am I putting my attention?
