My One Word Philosophy to Make Dreams Come True
Where your attention goes, your time goes
The couch, television, and iPad are persistent collaborators.
Each provides comfort, relaxation, and distraction from the challenges and responsibilities of life. But they also prevent us from achieving our dreams. They know that once lured in, we’re likely to stay.
There are days when I take a writing break to enjoy a cup of coffee. If I opt for the back patio, things go well. I sip my coffee, think, and then return to my writing desk. But, if I opt for the couch, things go downhill.
I end up reaching for the remote. I start scrolling channels until something catches my interest. Then, long after I finished my coffee, I’m still glued to the television.
Who knew that the location of your coffee break can matter so much.
Where your attention goes, your time goes
I have a friend named Sean in New Zealand who I chat with regularly via WhatsApp. He runs a successful online business, fills journals full of his pen, ink & watercolor cartoons, and takes thousands of amazing photographs in his community.
Sean told me once that he doesn’t watch television. He may enjoy a movie or documentary here or there, but he doesn’t follow TV news and programs. He’s too busy living an amazing life.
Sean has an insatiable curiosity and zest for life. He rises each day at 4 am to dive into his creative passions and work. He is one of the most talented and productive people I know, and I am inspired by his example.
“Where your attention goes, your time goes.” — Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability
Sean has learned that personal growth and progress don’t happen on a couch, in front of a TV, or mindlessly scrolling cat videos on YouTube. They happen by taking positive action and moving in the direction of your dreams.
Keep walking until you reach heaven
When my wife Nicole was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, it felt like an impenetrable roadblock dropped in front of our lives.
Our daily routines were upended with appointments, scans, and insurance headaches. Yet Nicole wasted no time navigating the challenges, fear, and road ahead. She took immediate control of her life.
“If you are going through hell, keep walking until you reach heaven.” — Matshona Dhliwayo
Nicole didn’t waste time feeling sorry for herself, or escaping into unhealthy habits. She researched exhaustively about her particular type of cancer. Despite being a hospice nurse, she didn’t assume she knew everything about the disease.
Nicole’s proactive approach rubbed off on me. I accompanied her on all her appointments, took notes, and read an excellent book about how to support her (written by a man whose wife fought breast cancer).
Through it all, there was one word I kept repeating to myself every day. It became a rallying cry. A philosophy. An optimistic nod to the future.
The word is Onward.
Nicole’s cancer was caught early, and her recovery is going well. Now, I use “onward” as a success template for all my endeavors. It’s a daily reminder to embrace challenges, avoid distractions, and keep moving forward.
Take that next small step forward
Your state of mind is everything in life.
Despite the good or bad circumstances you’re facing, you get to decide how to react. Curl up on the couch, or hide in a bottle of booze, and positive progress will be unlikely.
Educate yourself, enlist support, take action, and positive progress is more likely. What I’ve found is that action and momentum are key to successful outcomes.
“It is essential to continue to take that next small step forward, no matter how small it is. With each step, each decision, you build momentum and it becomes easier to continue moving forward and harder to retreat.” — Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, Above All Else
Newton’s first law of motion (the law of inertia) states that an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
Newton’s law is about physical objects like throwing a frisbee, but it applies equally to our state of mind. If we embrace forward momentum as our daily philosophy, then we are more likely to avoid distractions and roadblocks.
How about you? Are you ready to move forward and make your dreams come true? If so, then adopt “Onward!” as your rallying cry.
Turn off the TV and iPad, get off the couch, and create some positive momentum. Onward!
Because your dreams are waiting for you.
(Originally published at JohnPWeiss.com)
Before you go
I’m John P. Weiss. I draw cartoons, take pictures, and write elegant essays about life. Check out my Saturday Letters here.
