Be Present Focused And Live in Your Three Foot World
I read a great book from the perspective of a navy SEAL. He detailed several missions and went through what key lessons he learned from each one. There were general and specific suggestions about being a team player and what that meant to a Navy SEAL.
“No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy Seal” was written by Mark Owen a pseudonym for Navy SEAL Matt Bissonette.
Mark had a fear of heights but went to great lengths to overcome it. He was aware that his weakness, any weakness, could compromise a mission at any given moment. One of his early training exercises was to climb a giant rock wall. While climbing, he decided to do it in his own way. They were told to place their cams, the tools jammed into crevices that would catch them if they fell, every ten feet, but Mark placed them every 5 feet thinking that if he were to fall he would only fall those few feet.
Having used entirely too many camming devices he ran out and was essentially, stuck, not quite half way there. He then made the mistake of looking at something other than the rock face in front of him, and realized how high up he was. Starting to panic, his struggle was obvious. Luckily his guide had noticed what he had been doing and he quickly climbed over all the extra cams he’d collected from below him. He then offered him a brilliant piece of advice.
“Stay in your three feet. Don’t look up, don’t look down. Stay right there in the three feet that’s right in front of you”
He completed the rest of the climb easily, by only thinking about each three feet in front of him as he finished.
You can’t do anything about what is behind you. You can’t worry about what is ahead of you. The best thing you can do is focus on where you are RIGHT now.
In martial arts we call this present focus. Present focus is when you are totally focused on what you are doing at that very moment in time. Nothing else matters. You are completely and totally in the zone.
You are living in your 3-foot world! Present-Focused on accomplishing what needs to be accomplished. Present focused on prioritizing and executing. Present focused and engaged in your thoughts, getting it done and counting your blessings.
These are simple strategies that can be very effective… and of course, simple does not mean easy….
In Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to stop worrying and start living” , he says,
“Mentally accept the worst and peacefully do your best to improve the worst case scenario.”
It is liberating once you let go of things you can’t control. Yesterday can’t be changed and tomorrow is… well “tomorrow”…
All that matters is the POWER you and I have right now, at this very moment, to make a change, to make a commitment, and to start fresh.
Whatever you are going through right now, get present-focused, be black belt strong, stay in your three feet focused on what’s in front of you. Don’t look up, don’t look down, don’t look back and get it done.
Have a great day.
