Yesterday, someone shared with me a beautiful metaphor that Steve Chandler shared in his book “The Joy of Selling.” Today, I want to share it with you.
Its original focus was on the world of business, but it can be applied to any aspect of your life. Here’s the part I want to highlight for you (note that I’ve omitted the parts that are specifically related to business):
“Ain’t no sunshine when it’s gone.
What is “it”? Your most important asset: your attention.
Where is your attention today? Where are you directing the light of your mind? On yourself? On your problems?
Or on the results you want to produce today?
Your mind is a beam of sun. The world is a wet and shimmering garden of damp dark soil hiding so many seeds that are just waiting to grow. Wherever you turn your attention, that’s where a flower will begin to grow.
[…]
Anything you pay attention to expands. It grows. Pay attention to your house plants and they grow. Pay attention to your sport, and your passion for that sport grows. Attention is like that. Anywhere you point it, the object of that attention grows.”
Steve Chandler
I love this metaphor! Whatever we put our attention on will grow. Yes, it’s simple and evident, if you think about it. But it’s a shame how often we forget to apply this simple truth to our lives.
I forget it all the time. I get caught up on tasks and thoughts that are not the most important in my life, and it’s only when I think about my day or week in retrospect that I realize my attention (my beam of sun) has been focused on things that are not so precious to me.
Put your attention on your partner, and your relationship will grow.
Put your attention on your children, and your relationship with them will grow.
Put your attention on your customers, and they will grow in terms of number and fidelity to your business.
Put your attention on your health, and it will improve.
Yes, the metaphor of the mind as a beam of sun is so simple and easy to remember! Take time to think about it a few times per day.
On what is your beam of sun focusing on today?