Are You Focusing On A Problem?

Are You Focusing on a Problem?

While working out at the gym today, I was using a bench to do Bulgarian split squats.  This is an exercise where you put one foot behind you on a bench and then squat on only one leg while holding dumbbells in each hand.  Because of this position, I was about two feet from the bench I was using.

Soon, two other people began using the benches on each side of me.  They were doing dumbbell flies. This is an exercise where their arms are extended out from their benches.  The specific exercises are not important, but what is important is that it was extremely crowded to say the least.  The benches are bolted to the floor and can’t be moved.  

At first I put my attention on how little room there was for the three of us to be doing our exercises simultaneously. I was wondering why they had to do their dumbbell flies right when I was on the other bench.

I noticed what I was noticing and decided to change my thoughts.

I decided to think that there is enough room for all of us to easily do our exercises at the same time.

As soon as I changed my thinking, an idea came to me.  If I changed which end of the bench I was working from their arms could go out into the empty space and I could be squatting by their stationary feet.  Low and behold there was plenty of space for all of us to work out comfortably.

I was struck by how changing my thoughts, changed my perspective and I saw the situation differently.

This allowed me to come up with an easy solution.

We can follow this same process for any situation.  When we focus on the problem, that’s all we can see.  When we put our attention and thoughts on the end result – the result we would like to be experiencing - then different ideas can come to us and help achieve the desired result.

A small example, but it reinforces the power of our thinking.

What obstacle are you facing in your life where you could focus on the end result you want instead of the (perceived) problem?

To your dreams,

Cyn