Everywhere you look, it’s all about AI, change, doom and gloom. Do you also feel like you’re losing touch with yourself more and more because of it? You’re doing and doing, but it feels more like checking things off with a sense of pressure in the back of your mind than actually enjoying what you do. And by doing that, you’re literally putting sand into your own head.
Because if you’ve ever had sand in the gears, you know that things start moving less and less – and in the worst case, everything comes to a complete stop. All those negative impressions from the outside are like sand in the system. Would you be willing to keep as much of that away from you as possible? But how? Good question.
The key is focus. Focus on what’s good in your life. Focus on the things you can influence and control. Focus on your goals, desires, and dreams (if you still have any). And focus on the right people around you. Because that’s the only way to move steadily through the storm of sand.
“But Norman, what if country XY attacks us? Shouldn’t we be aware of that?” I believe that if something like that were to happen, you would know. Otherwise, you can spend months or even years worrying about “what if.” Does that help you move forward freely – with joy and courage? Or does it paralyze you? Most likely the second one. And hey, it’s your decision what you choose to focus on.
Just to give you some perspective: A few days ago, I listened to an interview with Peter Hahne. He said, more or less, that we don’t really have to fear being attacked by country XY:
“If they send their tanks to Berlin, the first one will collapse along with the bridge because of our crumbling infrastructure. We Germans are perfectly capable of destroying ourselves. We don’t need an external attack for that.” And honestly, we do tend to sabotage ourselves. Possibly through many questionable decisions made by “those at the top.”
But there’s very little you and I can do to change that directly. What you can do is focus on what you can influence: Your perspective. Your drive. Your environment. Your attitude toward what you do. What we need right now are more positive people who keep going – who don’t give up or walk away. And that requires an inner drive that is free from sand and all the other noise.
Do you remember a time when you built or created something with friends?
When everyone contributed, pulled together, and in the end something beautiful came out of it? That’s the spirit we need again. And you are responsible for that. Because being happy is a decision. Not the result of something external. Will you choose to wake up each day with the best possible mindset and energy? To focus more on what’s good rather than what’s wrong in conversations?
Whether you see the glass as half full or half empty doesn’t matter. Be grateful that you have a glass with something in it at all. So with that in mind: focus on the good. Because those who sow good will reap even better. And to quote Ed Harris from the movie The Rock: “Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind.”
