Staying Focused in the Face of Negativity

The Law of Attraction states that whatever you focus on is what you will attract into your life. This is why it’s essential to stay focused on your goals.

Unfortunately, many people find it difficult to maintain focus in today’s world, where we’re bombarded by negative messages from the media, co-workers, friends, relatives and even clients.

The good news is that you can take action to shield yourself from motivation-sapping, fear-instilling negativity. This article shares 5 easy ways to get started.

Tip #1: Accept 100% Responsibility

The most critical principle to master if you want to create greater success is to accept 100 percent responsibility for your life – including the type and amount of negativity to which you allow yourself to be exposed.

Your job is to take care of yourself. This includes creating environments that are conducive to success. Take note of how negativity manifests in your life, and then consider ways that you can reduce your exposure.

For instance, do you watch or read the news every day? Try abstaining, and trust that if anything major happens, such as a natural disaster, someone will tell you. At that point, you can choose to read an article or two to bring yourself up to date.

Do you have well-meaning relatives who urge you not to follow your dreams because they fear the consequences of the risks you’ll take to achieve your goals? You may want to limit the time you spend with these individuals.

Alternatively, recognize their advice for what it is: an expression of their love and concern for you. The simple truth is that many people are blind to their limiting beliefs and how it colors their view of the world. Simply thank these well-meaning individuals for caring enough about you to share their thoughts, then turn your attention back to your goals.

 Tip #2: Release Negative Feelings

To attract what you want in life, you must live in a state of love, joy and gratitude. Negative environments stir up feelings of fear, anxiety and doubt, which must be released so that you can return to a higher state of feeling and vibration.

The Sedona Method, created by Hale Dwoskin, offers a fast and effective solution to the need to release negative feelings.

Start by tuning in to the feeling that is disturbing you. Really feel the emotion – welcome it and let it flood your body.

Then ask yourself, “Could I let it [the feeling] go?” Both “yes” and “no” are acceptable answers.

Next, ask, “Would I let it go?” If your answer is “no,” ask whether you would rather have this feeling or would you rather be free.

Finally, ask, “When?” This is an invitation to let the feeling go now. You can make the decision to release a feeling anytime you want. Repeat the entire process as often as needed until you feel free of that particular feeling.

Most people either wallow in their negative emotions or they try to resist experiencing negative feelings. Neither approach works. Use the Sedona Method to allow your emotions to flow through you, so that you can return to a positive state.

Tip #3: The Evening Review

Whatever you read, see, listen to, talk about and experience during the last 45 minutes of your evening has a huge influence on your sleep and your next day. During the night, your unconscious mind replays and processes this late-night input up to six times more often than anything else you experienced during the day. Use the following process to focus your unconscious mind.

Sit with your eyes closed, breathing deeply. Ask your mind to show you where you could have been more effective, more conscious, more loving, more assertive, or more of any other characteristic you want to focus on. (Note: review only one characteristic at a time).

You’ll see that a number of events from the day will come to mind. Observe them without any self-criticism. Then take each incident and replay in it in your mind the way you would have preferred to have done it. This will help you form the desired behavior the next time you face the same situation.

Tip #4: The Daily Success Focus Journal

Another way to stay focused on your goals and on the positive is to create a Daily Success Focus Journal.

Each evening, identify 5 accomplishments you made throughout the day. Next, identify why each accomplishment is important to you. Then, identify how you can make further progress in the same area. Finally, write down a specific action step that will lead to this progress and enter the to-do item into your schedule.

Tip #5: Create Your Ideal Day

Before you leave work or go to bed, take a few minutes to plan your schedule for the following day. Doing so sets you up for success, as you’ll be able to get right to work as soon as you begin your day.

After planning your schedule, take a few additional minutes to visualize your day going exactly as you want it. See yourself performing at your best in every situation you will encounter. This gives your subconscious all night to work on creating ways to make it all happen just as you visualized it.
Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what else is happening. They choose to concentrate on their success, rather than their failures, and on the next action steps they need to take. Use the tips outlined in this article to stay positive and proactive as you create your ideal life.

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