One of the most critical skills in life—–and yet never taught in school—–is choosing where to direct your attention.
—James Clear
I came across that quote last week. I partially agree with it, but for me it’s not complete. For me it’s,
The quality of our lives depends on how we focus our energy and our attention.
That’s part of the first two items in The Traits of Stress-Hardy, Resilient People:
- They have a sense of meaning, direction, and purpose. They are value-centered rather than reactive and defensive. They understand that emotions are great sources of energy and motivation but are often poor guides for action. Instead these people use their values as guides.
- They realize that the quality of our lives depends on how we focus our energy and our attention. They try to align their thoughts and actions with their values. They know how to motivate themselves to take action.
- They don’t judge themselves or others harshly when things go wrong. They focus on what they want, not on what they don’t want.
- They are able to tolerate ambiguity, uncertainty, and imperfection. They have a long-range perspective, so they give themselves and others room to grow. They can afford to be resilient, flexible, and creative because they are centered in their values.
- They are reasonably optimistic and have a sense of humor. Even though they are dedicated to doing things well, they don’t take themselves too seriously.
- They take responsibility for their mental programming, their emotions, and their actions. If they have ineffective ways of thinking and behaving, they evaluate them and make appropriate changes.
- They look at adversity as a challenge rather than as a threat. They realize that no matter how the present situation turns out, they will learn and grow from it.
- They respect themselves and other people. They have a spirit of cooperation, looking for win-win solutions rather than trying to win over other people or ignoring their own wants and needs because of fear.
- They are grateful for the good things in their lives.
- They know how to mourn the inevitable losses in life. They know how to let go of things they have no control over.
That’s my biggest hobby in life, it keeps me learning and growing. And it keeps me from feeling helpless.
Do you have any hobbies that enrich your life?
April 11, 2023
Hmm, interesting. I think I have some of those traits. Maybe not all of them have been perfected but I think I might be on the right track…lol
I don’t know how much crafting enriches my life but I do enjoy sitting down and creating something.
The neat thing is we don’t have to do them perfectly. 🙂
Interesting!You are already aware of my hobbys that I use to escape boredom and life issues
You bring a lot of joy to other people because of your hobbies. We’re grateful.
That reminded me of the time the company’s accountant called and said he needed a certain document that was missing from the file. My response? “Oh, goodie, a treasure hunt!”
Yes, attitude makes a huge difference. 🙂
After reading, going away, then re-reading …
I’m giving myself props on 6 of these; remedial classes for the other 4. For sure, life’s not static!
It’s not about doing it perfectly, it’s about having a sense of direction, something to aim for. 🙂
I especially like #3! Yes, we can not trust our emotions as well. They can really lead us astray. My hobbies are blogging and photography.
I love reading your blogs and seeing your pictures. 🙂
I’ve definetly slowed down, but somehow I don’t see it as a problem.
But I do have an entertaining home life which means I can fill in those days however I like. And after I decided that as most of my art materials and certain tools were always on the floor around the small table, I would abandon the table and use the floor…I can reach most things in a loose horseshoe format down there, and then crawl to other fittings if need be. I had to move the couch, which I hardly use anyway…and if I knew more than one person was coming by I could make it “seat friendly”
And then I’ve kind of stream lined aspects to a point where they are not required anyway. Everyone says “you should do this or that..”.I think about why and then usually don’t do it.
Life just flows along…
Good for you! 🙂