MM Ep 49: 4th Key to Happiness

We share this month’s key to happiness: focus, using an arrow and target to make the idea feel real and usable. We connect focus to daily thoughts and remind ourselves that where we aim our mind shapes what we experience.
• choosing focus as a practical key to happiness
• using an arrow and bullseye to explain directed attention
• aiming on purpose instead of letting thoughts fly randomly
• taking control of everyday thoughts despite outside influences
• deciding how we handle and respond to thoughts to support happiness

I look forward to seeing you right here next time on a mindful moment.

https://aarondegler.com/

Transcript

Welcome To A Mindful Moment

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to a mindful moment. Thanks for taking a moment to join me today. As I started the beginning of year, I shared with our classes each month a different key to happiness. And each month, the beginning of the month, I want to share those each with you. And this month's key to happiness is focus. And the the charm I gave out to our classes that got perfect attendance and their key to happiness was an arrow. Because when we think of a target, if we are shooting an arrow, that target, we need that arrow, we need to be focused. And what do we do when we aim an arrow? Think about it. We aim at the target. We're looking maybe through a sight that is directed towards a target. Maybe it's small, but it's what we have to do. We can't open our eyes and just shoot it out, as I like to say, willy-nilly. It has to be focused on that target in that direction. Because, and what does that focus look like? That focus looks like in our everyday thoughts. Our focus of our everyday thoughts are driving us towards happiness because we get to control our thoughts. We are in absolute control of our thoughts. No matter what outside influences happen to us, we control every thought that we have. Now, does that mean, you know, sometimes a thought comes in and we can shut it down and turn it away? We have control over that. So, but if we are looking for everyday happiness, we have to focus on what thoughts do we want to have? How do we want to handle those thoughts? How do we want to respond to those thoughts? It takes focus. Just as if the bullseye on that target is happiness. We have our arrow, we draw it back, we focus on that target, that bullseye, before we release the arrow. And when we do focus and we have that target in sight, we release that arrow, it will go towards that target and hit the bullseye. And we have to, and so the the arrow is just as simple a reminder that wherever we shoot the arrow, that arrow will go. If we just let it fly all over and we have no focus, it will never hit the target. But with focus on the bullseye of life, which is happiness, when we draw the string back, we let the arrow go, we focus on that bullseye, it'll hit it. And it all starts with the thoughts that we have in our everyday thought. We have to focus on those. And when we focus on our thoughts, everything else will be a result of the thoughts we have. Thank you so much for joining me on this week's mindful moment. I look forward to seeing you right here next time on a mindful moment.