Life in Focus With A Word

Have you ever looked up at the sky on a clear night and gazed at the millions of stars? It’s awe inspiring – little dots of light, some brighter than others. Under such a canopy of wonder, where do your eyes rest; how do you choose what to focus on?

One of the benefits of having a telescope to look through is that it stops you from looking at everything and causes you to pay attention to one thing. It allows that one thing to come into focus.

How can we create that kind of focus in our lives? Our schedules are packed. The gigantic amount of data that gets filtered into our lives through various electronic devices, and the simple demands of daily interactions with friends and family represent the busiest night sky you’ve ever seen. Without a telescope to help us focus, we are simply overwhelmed by the constant movement in our lives.

An Unwieldy Solution

You’ve probably been told a million times: just write it down! Sometimes I try to focus by making a list of “to dos.” But the trouble with that is I just end up with a very long list that is overwhelming: buy groceries, go to the bank, learn a foreign language, empty voice mail, meetings, work, etc. Of course there is satisfaction in crossing things off but then other things get added and it feels like bailing a boat that has a hole in the bottom.

Focus is essential to getting things done

We’ve bought into the myth that we can’t afford to focus. We are afraid there will be too much left undone. But, if you look at the lives of successful people you will see disciplined focus. Think about Bill Clinton who was apparently canvassing and shaking hands right out of high school. To have a successful life you have to not only choose what you are going to do, but also decide what you are not going to do.

The same is true in our spiritual lives. People of faith usually assert that they want to grow spiritually but you can easily end up with just another long ‘to do’ list: pray, read scripture, be kind, learn a verse or two, volunteer in a soup kitchen, go on an overseas mission trip, and the list goes on. Even life itself has a tendency to pull us away from spiritual growth. We get caught up in the day to day.

Change is possible but to achieve sustainable change at the heart level focus is going to have to be part of the equation.

Do one thing instead of nothing!

This is where the strategy of “picking one word” comes in. You can learn more about this strategy at www.myoneword.org. It’s a simple idea that opens huge possibilities for a successful life. The concept is that you pick one word that describes “who” you are becoming.

Thinking about “who” you want to be is key, because we usually get stifled in our bid for change by focusing on how we don’t want to act. For example you might think, “I need to stop overeating,” instead of “I want balance in my life.” Or you may regret gossiping and then try to focus on not talking negatively about others. However, a more successful strategy would be to determine to become someone who is “encouraging”.

To move forward in your spiritual life it helps to have a clear vision of who you want to become.

How to pick your one word

Deciding to pick one word puts meaning into the concept that we are co-creators with God. Our Heavenly Parent wants us to create our lives together with him. It’s not all up to God. Our lives are not predestined in that sense. We choose who we become. God wants to be a part of our personal development, guiding us along the way.

Take a sheet of paper and write down a list of words that describes character traits that you wish to develop within yourself. Think of words that resonate for you regarding who you want to be. Do you want to be generous, courageous, or thoughtful? You decide.

After writing down as many words as you can that flow from your heart, reduce your list to 10 words. Now comes the hard part! Take some time to think about these words. Look them up in the dictionary and a scripture concordance. Think about what they mean to you. Pray about them. Ask God to show you what he wants to do in your life. When that is done, pick ONE word. See the difference one word can make on www.myoneword.org.

What is God’s one word?

That’s an interesting question. Our Heavenly Parent has been around a long, long time and no doubt has many words that have guided him/her over the years. What is God’s one word? As I reflected on the narrative of the Bible and the Divine Principle, one word kept surfacing over and over again; the word relationship.

Relationship was the very motive driving the creation of humankind. God cannot experience love by him/herself. No-one can. You need someone to love in order to know love.

“Why did God create the Universe? The reason is that God wants to engage in the loving relationship of a parent with their child. The relationship of parent and child is in fact, the foundation of the Universe.”  Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Despite God’s dreams the world went very wrong. It was the corruption of love that destroyed God’s relationship with his first children.

Restoring our broken relationship with God is at the very center of God’s heart and the focus of every minute of God’s existence.

“There is no path anywhere in heaven or on earth to overcome the satanic world except by following the principles of love centered on God. That is why God is holding tightly onto love.

Therefore, love is the basis for the Buddhist virtue of compassion. Likewise, love is the basis for the Confucian virtue of benevolence. Compassion and benevolence are realized in the context of mutual relationships.” Rev Sun Myung Moon.

God’s one word is relationship.

If you are serious about growing spiritually it’s essential to focus. Honing in on one word and allowing God to teach you personally and work in your life through that one word can take you to a new level of understanding and relationship with our Heavenly Parent. Life becomes an exciting journey.

Don’t go it alone

Honestly speaking, when it comes to spiritual growth, too often we try to go it alone. The reason for that is it’s hard to be vulnerable; to admit to others that we have weaknesses or limitations. However, we are meant to live in relationship with others, in community. Life is so much easier when we pull together as a team.

It’s kind of like rowing. It takes time to figure out how to coordinate the strokes and work together for the greatest speed and efficiency. But at the finish line you turn around and realize it was worth it.

“Let us spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”  Hebrews 10:23-25

When it comes to your one word it’s helpful to let others in on it. They can keep you accountable to your goals and what you are trying to achieve in your life and then when you have a breakthrough it’s a shared experience. They are as happy for you as you are for yourself.

We are designed to live and grow in community. Rev. Moon often cited the “family as the school of love.” In 1 Thessalonians 2:8 we are told, “We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

Truth by itself is not enough. We need relationships to fully understand and internalize truth, thereby allowing it to shape and transform our lives.