Hello and welcome to this talk on the power of focus,
Controlling your inner world.
Now,
If you've listened to my other tracks,
You'll know that I'm an NLP Master Practitioner,
But I also pull on the world of Stoicism and its wisdom.
And this track pulls on that Stoic wisdom.
In our busy lives,
It's easy to feel overwhelmed.
We worry about deadlines,
Other people's opinions,
The state of the world,
A constant barrage of things seemingly outside of our grasp.
This is where the ancient wisdom of Stoicism offers a powerful anchor.
Focus on what you can control.
Why is this simple practice so vital for avoiding stress?
Just think of it like pouring water into a leaky bucket.
If you're constantly expending your energy and mental resources on things that you have no influence over,
You will inevitably feel drained,
Frustrated,
And yes,
Stressed.
It's a recipe for feeling powerless and at the mercy of external circumstances.
The Stoics understood that while the world around us is often unpredictable,
Our inner world,
Our thoughts,
Our judgements and our actions is where our true power lies.
By consciously directing our attention to this inner domain,
We reclaim our agency and shield ourselves from unnecessary anxiety.
When we obsess over things that we can't change,
What we essentially hand over is our peace of mind.
So how can we practically apply this principle in our everyday lives?
Let's take a common scenario,
A delayed train.
Imagine you're heading to an important meeting and the announcement blares,
This train is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Your immediate reaction might be frustration,
Anger and a rising sense of panic about being late.
This is focusing on what you cannot control,
The train's delay,
The unforeseen circumstances.
Now let's apply the Stoic principle.
Ask yourself,
What can I control in this situation?
Well,
What I can control in this situation is my reaction.
I can choose to get angry and stressed or I can choose to remain calm.
I can also control my reactions.
What could I do?
I can check for alternative routes.
I could contact the person I'm meeting to inform them of the delay.
I can use this unexpected time to catch up on emails,
Read a book or simply practice mindful breathing.
And by shifting your focus from the uncontrollable delay to your controllable responses,
You immediately regain a sense of power.
The situation hasn't changed but your experience of it has.
The stress begins to dissipate because you are no longer fighting against an unchangeable reality.
You are actively engaging with it in a way that serves you.
This simple shift in perspective can be applied to countless situations.
A critical comment from a colleague,
A disagreement with a loved one,
Even the weather.
Instead of getting caught up in the emotional turmoil of what you can't influence,
And you know,
We can't influence the weather,
You can ask yourself,
What is within my control here?
And by consistently practicing this focus,
You'll cultivate a sense of inner resilience.
You'll learn to navigate life's inevitable challenges with greater calm and clarity,
Reserving your precious energy for the things where your actions truly make a difference.
And in doing so,
You'll discover a profound and lasting reduction in stress.
So thank you for joining me for this chocolate chunk of what is actually NLP that comes from the ancient wisdom of Stoicism.
And as always,
Much love.
