What You Focus on Expands

I was just a kid when my philosophy teacher made the statement "What you focus on expands", and frankly I was completely clueless as to what he was referring to. Believe it or not, he never bothered to explain it either. It wasn't until ten years later or so, when I was listening to The Secret, that it finally clicked in. "What you focus on expands" was a statement much more powerful than I ever imagined!

If you can only accept the fact that your thoughts drive your actions and your actions drive your life, then you have grasped the basic concept of what this is all about. Our thoughts are like the electricity that runs our mental and physical machine. You want positive energy to run through you, not negative energy, mainly because the energy that runs through you is like a magnet attracting other energy towards you. If you run on positive energy you attract other positive energy. Likewise, if you run on negative energy, you attract other negative energy.

If you focus on bad things, bad things will happen. The best example of that I have ever witnessed was that of a kid who affixed the poster of a convict behind bars on his bedroom wall. Day after day, that picture was there, on his wall, for years and years. Would you like to guess where he found himself one day?

What you think about, or focus on, expands. If you focus on being single and lonely, you will get more of single and lonely. If you focus on being fat, you will get more of fat. Get the picture? Why? because that's what you attract like a magnet. When you focus on things, you are sending vibes out to the universe which in return sends you more of what you are focusing on, thinking that it's what you are asking for and want. The universe is there to serve you.

Think of it as a radio station. If you tune it to classical music, what are the chances that you will hear country music? None! If you tune yourself to negative, that's what you will get, and more negative will come to you, because like attracts like. Positive people don't want to be around negative people. They tend to wear them out and drag them in the mud with them. You have heard the expression "Misery likes company." So, when you're tuned to negative, other negative people out there will come to you. They are on the same energy level as you are and can hear your cry for help.

Does this mean that you should avoid your friends when they go through a hard time? It depends! My rule on that is very simple: if you can pull them out of the hole, do it, but if they drag you in the hole with them, walk away! You won't be any help to them down in the dumps with them, and will only deny yourself the right to happiness in the process.

What it means, however, is that you may want to pay attention to your thoughts more closely. Be more aware of the statements you make to yourself and/or about yourself. Be more aware of those around you who tend to drag you down with them. Assess whether you are in a position to help or not.

From now on, challenge yourself to only think positive thoughts about yourself, your abilities, and your present and future, and surround yourself with people who do the same. Think of you as your "Dream You." Focus on what you want, not on what you don't have. Focus on where you want to be, not on where you have been. Then watch what happens...

Joelle Osias, MBA
Author, Get the Life You Deserve
President and CEO, Osias International, LLC