Certain things are just impossible. We can’t say two things at once. And we can’t actively think two things at once. Like it or not, as much as we try to multi-task, multi-speaking and conscious multi-thinking simply don’t exist.

This then begs the question, if we can multi-task, doesn’t that mean we are doing certain things that we can’t possibly be focused on? And so it seems we do. How many times have you driven to a destination with no recollection of the actual process of getting there. Clearly you stepped on the gas, stopped at red lights (hopefully) and applied the brakes when necessary. But you weren’t actively engaged with what you were doing. You were simply doing.

And unfortunately so too in many of our actions, and our relationships, we can physically be there without actually being present. We can respond and nod our head at statements we never even heard and actions we weren’t conscious we had done.

But the fact that we are unaware of what is happening right before our eyes, doesn’t mean it isn’t taking place. All the more so, by virtue of the fact that we have chosen to focus, think about and speak about one thing, means that we have consciously or subconsciously chosen not to focus or speak about something else. So then we have to really determine if our priorities are correct. Did we choose the right things?

The answer to that is pretty simple. Not simple to enact but rather to determine. Is the outcome of what we are focused on, saying and feeling, positive? Does it make us want to accomplish more? Do we feel empowered, inspired, reinvigorated and challenged to continue? If the answer is ‘yes’ than we are in a good place. If, however, what we see leads to us feeling defeated, depleted and discouraged, we can be pretty sure that our focus is misdirected. The mistake is that we can believe that what we want to see doesn’t exist, when in fact, it is often right there but we cannot possibly view it if our eyes are focused on something else.

This is why the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, tells us that a person is where his or her thoughts are. We shape our reality. We have the power to see what we want to see based on where we choose to look. And all possibilities exist. Can we find the ugly, the evil and the horrid? No doubt. It absolutely is right there in front of our eyes. But we can likewise see the beauty, the potential and the blessings. They are there too.

And this isn’t just about what we see when we look around us, but often more importantly what we see when we look within. And if we don’t like what we see, we have to look a little harder and refocus while simultaneously recognizing that we have the ability to change what shouldn’t be there. As Chassidic philosophy teaches, tracht gut vet zein gut “Think good and it will be good.” When we focus on the positive, we help reveal it and create it. The goal is to choose wisely and pay attention to what we are paying attention to. We can be sure there is plenty out there trying to determine for us where our eyes should be drawn and what our mind should think about. And when we release that control we are susceptible to others determining our focus. But when we know our end goal and only allow our thought, speech and action to stay focused on what brings us closer to that goal, then we not only avoid distraction, but we see exactly what we need to be seeing along the way.

If you doubt you can be easily swayed or that you would never fail to miss what is happening right before your eyes, watch the following TED video below with Apollo Robbins, “The Art of Misdirection” and comment below how you fared…

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