My OperaAn Epic Obsession
Monday, November 28, 2011 5:35:00 AM
I wrote a book called “What You Focus on Grows: Stories For Your Frame of Mind”. It was published in 2008 and it is a collection of interesting short stories primarily based on real life observations that look at life through a special lens. Although each story stands on its own and is not related to the other stories, the fundamental premise of the book is that whatever you place your attention on is what expands in your life’s experience. When you concentrate on seeking exciting things, they show up. When you concentrate on spotting the annoyances of life, they show up too, in bulk. My objective in the book was to concentrate on human behaviour as it showed up over a broad range of ages, scenarios, and life experiences, as a reflection of mindset. My stories covered a broad range of topics and people -- from celebrities who achieved great things, to people I met for 30 seconds in an elevator, to exchanges I shared with very important people in my life.
The one thing I never really addressed in the book was the issue of obsession. Obsession is an extreme version of the notion that what you concentrate on expands. What you obsess about not only grows, it magnifies. This can work in both directions. Obsessing about what is lacking in your life can make the absence feel dramatically overwhelming, while obsessing with glee and anticipation over an event that will take place in the future can prolong the fun of the event greatly longer than the event itself. Many of us are really familiar with the former, but not all that open to the latter. I have had the pleasure of observing my stepson, Brian, in a condition of obsession; the delight and joykind of obsession over the Norwegian Epic.
What is the Norwegian Epic? It is a new cruiseship that was going to sail out of Florida for the first time ever. According to Brian, it's an Epic Masterpiece (or perhaps that’s from the marketing info on the web site). It is a ship that has every feature and attraction that one can imagine. It has freestyle dining with 21 different dining selections, Cirque du Soleil performances with dinner, the Blue Man Group, Second City, an ice skating rink, a bowling alley, a three story water slide, a bungee trampoline, an ice bar and much, much more! It’s the largest, funkiest, most fascinating ship ever. How do I know all this?
1. Because Brian gave up his Bar Mitzvah Party in return for a family trip on the Epic.
2. Because Brian memorized the five minute audio component of the Epic website and repeats it whenever he has a chance.
3. Because Brian followed the construction of the ship and provided us regular updates.
4. Because Brian was luring us to his computer to see the latest pictures and YouTube videos.
5. Because there was certainly NOT ONE PASSING DAY that he did notmention the Norwegian Epic. One day he actually walked into my office holding a massive white board, the size of his whole body, with the word EPIC written over the board. He had already planned all of our meals every night as well as his every day activities from the minute he would get on the ship to the minute he gets off. He was OBSESSED.
How really does this obsession help him? It acts as an extremely effective energy source that helps him to enjoy every minute leading up to this dream trip far before the real trip happens. He has imagined it, envisioned it, and taken the trip in his mind at least a hundred times already. This is a strong skill that most of us have no idea how to utilize. It’s a skill that creates magic and enables for the most incredible results to come about. It is a skill that the most successful people in the world have nailed.
Here’s what I recommend: use a journal to become obsessive about imagining what you really want, as though you already have it. Imagine it as a done deal and savor the delight of its existence in your life. Your written word influences your thinking and allows you to discover exactly what it is that you want to concentrate on. It is amazing beyond comprehension.
Brian decided he wanted to go on the Epic and there was no going back. For him, it was a successfully done deal and from that point on he savored every part of the process. Imagine what his life would have been like if he focused on how fortunate *other* people were to get to go on cruises. Imagine what the past six months would have been like if he kept moaning and groaning about the unfairness of it all. Those six months would have been unpleasant for him (and for us)! Instead, his obsession has landed him months and months of joy AND a trip of a life time instead of just seven days at sea!
Kim Ades, MBA, President of Frame of Mind Coaching and JournalEngine™ Software, is one of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought management. By using her unique process of coaching through journaling, she works with clients to unveil and switch their thought patterns to ignite significant change and life transformation. Visit www.frameofmindcoaching.com to sign up for your own free, secure, online journal to obsess about what you want or to purchase “What You Focus on Grows: Stories For Your Frame of Mind”.
The one thing I never really addressed in the book was the issue of obsession. Obsession is an extreme version of the notion that what you concentrate on expands. What you obsess about not only grows, it magnifies. This can work in both directions. Obsessing about what is lacking in your life can make the absence feel dramatically overwhelming, while obsessing with glee and anticipation over an event that will take place in the future can prolong the fun of the event greatly longer than the event itself. Many of us are really familiar with the former, but not all that open to the latter. I have had the pleasure of observing my stepson, Brian, in a condition of obsession; the delight and joykind of obsession over the Norwegian Epic.
What is the Norwegian Epic? It is a new cruiseship that was going to sail out of Florida for the first time ever. According to Brian, it's an Epic Masterpiece (or perhaps that’s from the marketing info on the web site). It is a ship that has every feature and attraction that one can imagine. It has freestyle dining with 21 different dining selections, Cirque du Soleil performances with dinner, the Blue Man Group, Second City, an ice skating rink, a bowling alley, a three story water slide, a bungee trampoline, an ice bar and much, much more! It’s the largest, funkiest, most fascinating ship ever. How do I know all this?
1. Because Brian gave up his Bar Mitzvah Party in return for a family trip on the Epic.
2. Because Brian memorized the five minute audio component of the Epic website and repeats it whenever he has a chance.
3. Because Brian followed the construction of the ship and provided us regular updates.
4. Because Brian was luring us to his computer to see the latest pictures and YouTube videos.
5. Because there was certainly NOT ONE PASSING DAY that he did notmention the Norwegian Epic. One day he actually walked into my office holding a massive white board, the size of his whole body, with the word EPIC written over the board. He had already planned all of our meals every night as well as his every day activities from the minute he would get on the ship to the minute he gets off. He was OBSESSED.
How really does this obsession help him? It acts as an extremely effective energy source that helps him to enjoy every minute leading up to this dream trip far before the real trip happens. He has imagined it, envisioned it, and taken the trip in his mind at least a hundred times already. This is a strong skill that most of us have no idea how to utilize. It’s a skill that creates magic and enables for the most incredible results to come about. It is a skill that the most successful people in the world have nailed.
Here’s what I recommend: use a journal to become obsessive about imagining what you really want, as though you already have it. Imagine it as a done deal and savor the delight of its existence in your life. Your written word influences your thinking and allows you to discover exactly what it is that you want to concentrate on. It is amazing beyond comprehension.
Brian decided he wanted to go on the Epic and there was no going back. For him, it was a successfully done deal and from that point on he savored every part of the process. Imagine what his life would have been like if he focused on how fortunate *other* people were to get to go on cruises. Imagine what the past six months would have been like if he kept moaning and groaning about the unfairness of it all. Those six months would have been unpleasant for him (and for us)! Instead, his obsession has landed him months and months of joy AND a trip of a life time instead of just seven days at sea!
Kim Ades, MBA, President of Frame of Mind Coaching and JournalEngine™ Software, is one of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought management. By using her unique process of coaching through journaling, she works with clients to unveil and switch their thought patterns to ignite significant change and life transformation. Visit www.frameofmindcoaching.com to sign up for your own free, secure, online journal to obsess about what you want or to purchase “What You Focus on Grows: Stories For Your Frame of Mind”.
