“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer

photo by Theophilos/flickr

We all know that what we focus on is what we see - but sometimes we forget that we have a choice. I recently watched an episode of "Brain Games" that reminded me that focusing on obstacles prevents me from seeing opportunities that lay just beyond my reach.

Let me share it with you. Hold your index finger in front of you so that it rests between your eyes and the picture above.. Stare at your finger for 10 to 15 seconds and then shift your focus to the scene of the boat in the water. If you are like most of us, you discovered that you can see through your finger to the beautiful scene in the background. Even though your finger is still there before your eyes, you are suddenly able to see the view beyond it with clarity and your finger seems to disappear from view.

If a solid object like your finger can disappear with a simple shift in focus, imagine what happens to obstacles when you shift your focus and concentrate on your dreams.

Today, I am grateful for the approach of fall and the cool night breeze, for the flight of the hummingbird as it inspects bright red and gold nasturtiums, and for the sweet fragrance of my herb garden. 

I am grateful for the bark of a distant dog as it echoes in the night, for the bat that wings its way through my garden in search of food, and for rainbows that will come to call another day. 

I am grateful for wild berries that feeds God's creatures, for trees that bring comfort to the world, and rocks. 

I am grateful for grown children who always make me proud, for my husband who is always there, and for brothers and sisters who helped make me who I am. I am grateful for parents who taught me the way to go. 

I am grateful for food to eat, water to drink and air to breathe. 

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you resist the urge to focus on obstacles and look beyond them as you go forward in the direction of your dreams.

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