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Power of Focus Quotes

    “Often called the best woman soccer player in the world, Mia Hamm says she was always asked, ‘Mia, what is the most important thing for a soccer player to have?’  With no hesitation, she answered, ‘Mental toughness.’  And she didn’t mean some innate trait.  When eleven players want to knock you down, when you’re tired or injured, when the referees are against you, you can’t let any of it affect your focus.  How do you do that?  You have to learn how.  ‘It is,’ said Hamm, ‘one of the most difficult aspects of soccer and the one I struggle with every game and every practice.” ~ Carol Dweck, Mindset

      “Success usually comes down to choosing the pain of discipline over the ease of distraction.” ~ James Clear, Blog

        “For true listening, no matter how brief, requires tremendous effort.  You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.” ~ Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

          “The whole world is inside each person, each being, each object.  To know any part of the world deeply, intimately, is to know the whole world.  Each of us, then, must find our own particular domain – that little corner of the world in which we can drill for gold.  For the acupuncturist it is knowing the body through the language of Chinese medicine.  For the painter, it is knowing the world through through paint and the canvas.  For the writer, it is knowing the world through words.”

          Stephen Cope, The Great Work Of Your Life

            “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” ~ Neils Bohr, Nobel Prize-winning physicist

              “In life, never spend more than 10 percent of your time on the problem, and spend at least 90 percent of your time on the solution. Most important, don’t sweat the small stuff… and remember, it’s all small stuff!” ~ Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

                “If you’re feeling really sad, there is only one reason: it’s because you’re deleting all the reasons you could be feeling good. And if you’re feeling good, it’s because you’re deleting all the bad things you could be focusing on.” ~ Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

                  “We’ve got to remember that we get whatever we focus on in life. If we keep focusing on what we don’t want, we’ll have more of it. The first step to creating any change is deciding what you do want so that you have something to move toward.” ~ Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

                    “The Buddha said, ‘Nothing can survive without food.’ This is a very simple and very deep truth. Love and hate are both living phenomena. If we do not nourish our love, it will die and may turn into hate. If we want love to last, we have to nurture it and give it food every day. Hate is the same; if we don’t feed it, it cannot survive.” ~ Thich Nhat Hahn, Savor

                      “A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being; but whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought forces upon the object which he has set before him.  He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought.  Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.” ~ James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

                        “Focus not on what he or she does, but on keeping to your higher purpose. Your own purpose should seek harmony with nature itself. For this is the true road to freedom.” ~ Epictetus, The Art of Living

                          “Getting distracted by trifles is the easiest thing in the world… Focus on your main duty” ~ Epictetus, The Art of Living

                            “The grass is always greener where you water it.” ~ Unknown

                              “What tasks are more important? It’s hard to know when you’re caught up in the flow of things, just doing things left and right, quickly switching between tasks, and so on. Everything seems important. But when we step back and think about what matters most, what will make the most difference in the world and in our lives, we can see what we need to focus on, to make time for. We can’t step back unless we’re aware that we’re getting caught up in less important tasks.” ~ Leo Babauta, Zen Habits