With Alacrity, We Focus Our Mind on the Here and Now

A great source of calamity resides in regret and anticipation. Therefore, a person is wise who thinks of the present alone, regardless of the past or future.

—Oliver Goldsmith, 18^th century Irish novelist and playwright (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)

It is mindless insanity. How many nights have we stirred ourselves awake in a cold sweat with worries about the future? How many hours of the day have we wasted ruminating about our past actions and what we might have done differently? To what end? These states of mind only act to inhibit our ability to see solutions; epiphanies come to us when we are calm and relaxed. We must accept the choices we have made, refuse to worry about the future, and fully live in the moment! It may seem a herculean task at first, but through vigilance and constant effort we can develop this skill to a stunning degree.  

—Mike Hazell

Whatever Your Passion in Life, Place No Limits on the Possibilities

Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.

—Pablo Picasso (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)

Not only should we live an inspired life, full of energy, creativity, and tranquil resolve, we should also surround ourselves with an equally positive environment. Do whatever it takes to tune out the negativity and remain focused on the possible. We write our own story in life.

—Mike Hazell

Your Daily Maxim

I have no time for worry or self-doubt—I am too busy working to achieve my dream.

—Mike Hazell (Image Licensed by Penn Wealth)

I was once the king of dwelling, mulling, ruminating over my past. Irrationally, I was this way even as a relatively young kid. I recall sitting in a library struggling over a homework assignment wondering why I hadn’t put forth more effort on the topic (math, in this case) in previous years. Instead of this wasted time and energy, I should have been fully engaged with and focused on the assignment at hand! That example is a microcosm of a pattern which would repeat itself literally thousands of times beyond that day.

I have always been amazed at people who can perform under intense pressure and scrutiny. While others are shooting arrows at them, they continue to forge ahead and make incredible things happen. Then I realized their secret: they were too absorbed with their overarching objective to pay much attention to what was going on around them. They were so focused on their grand vision that the path became crystal clear in front of them.

You know what you truly want in life. I am willing to bet you have planned out what you need to do to get there. Remain so focused on that vision of what your life will be that you simply have no time for the distractions along the way.   

—Mike Hazell

You Alone Determine Where to Focus Your Energies

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems – not people; to focus your energies on answers – not excuses.

—William Arthur Ward (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)

A Key Element of Achievement: Knowing Where to Focus Your Energies, and What to Cast Aside

Those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters.

—Cato the Elder, Roman statesman, 234-149 BC (Public Domain)

Unearth and Refine a Strong Vision for Your Life; It Will Change Everything

Once you develop a vision for your life, it immediately affects your attitude; it becomes one of optimism rather than pessimism.

—Charles R. Swindoll (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)

Let Criticism Wither on the Vine From a Lack of Attention

Don’t take anything personally, even if it is meant that way. Always keep your objective front and center: if you are focusing on that glorious aim, you won’t have time to worry about what others think.

—Mike Hazell (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)

Time is Fleeting for the Indolent; Abundant for the Focused

It is an undoubted truth that the less one must accomplish the less time one finds in which to do it…. Whereas those who have a great deal of business must get to it; and they are the ones who always seem to find time enough.

—Philip Stanhope, 4^th Earl of Chesterfield (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)

View at the River Arno in Pisa, Italy

Don’t Chase Off in Random Directions; Focus On Your Passion and Pursue It Completely

We are so constituted to undertake what we see another successful in, whether we have the aptitude for it or not.

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)

Focus Your Efforts on Your Primary Objective

One principal reason why people are so often (unproductive) is that they divide and shift their attention among a multiplicity of objects and pursuits.

—Nathanael Emmons (Image licensed by Penn Wealth)