It's hard to FOCUS. Especially in this day and age. But when we FOCUS we can achieve great things... I believe this! How do we get there? I'm searching myself. When I was in the 7th grade, I attended a Creative and Performing Arts school. My first class of the day was Theater. My teacher, Mr. Crow, would have the entire class lay flat on our backs on the auditorium stage floor. He told us to breathe and focus on the in and out of breathing. It was really quiet and it was hard not to fall asleep or think about that cute boy laying next to me. It was also hard not to run through the day of events and activities. But I wanted to do as he said because if I didn't follow his directions he would certainly call me out and humiliate me in front the entire class, as he had been known to do. Then after several minutes, he told us to imagine a heavy lead was pouring into the big toe. He described it heavy, hot, thick...filling up the big toe and slowly spilling int the others. On and on he described this lead moving through our bodies. After a while my body felt heavy but yet totally relaxed. Once the exercise was complete he asked us to sit up slowly. We did this the entire year. I didn't make much of it at the time. I just thought he was trying to get out of dealing with 35 pre-hormonal teenagers. But now as an adult, I appreciate what he gave us. He gave us a gift of learning how to "turn off the noise" and "quiet our minds". A life skill that is needed now more that ever in this day of email, text, apps, fax, phones, contact streaming, etc! When we live in a world of constant distractions we can't get anything done. We are constantly being torn in a hundred different directions. The quality of everything we do suffers. I want to create great things.I want to achieve focus. I can't help but think of Mr. Crow and this exercise I did so many years ago. I've been doing it lately. And it that space, I remember that girl who I wanted to be. I really believe if you can quiet the mind and stop the distractions you can empower and connect with that girl you know deep inside your heart. And it is from that place... You can raise yourself up to do things you only dreamed of. Have a great day! xox lisA