Focus Forward: Focus on the Light

At the beginning of January, I shared my compass phrase for this year: Focus Forward. Since then, I have learned there has to be something specific in the forward that grabs my attention and motivates me to not only focus forward, but to move forward. A question comes to mind, What can I focus on that will propel me forward? Focus on the Light

Distractions

How do we focus forward when we are struggling against burdens that would bury us in a pit of hopeless despair? One of the biggest deterrents to focusing forward can be the loss of our sense of self. The effects of abuse, trauma, and emotional suffering are real and can skew our vision of who we are. We can get lost in the pain and confusion of what we have been through. Self-doubt is a side effect and can be a relentless distraction to our forward focus.

Feelings of worthlessness, as we deal with the effects of trauma, can tempt us to look backward. They not only distract, but also blind us to the possibilities ahead of us. So often, the trauma of abuse robs us of the dignity and hope that would propel us forward.

Last year, my friend, Danielle Morelli, shared this powerful truth: “You deserve life. You deserve dignity. You deserve a chance at hope and love.” Survivor Shift Simply hearing that truth will not change us. But choosing to believe in that truth can help us reclaim what was lost. The truth is that regardless of the burdens we carry, we are worth the effort to move forward.

Motivation and Energy

But where do we find the energy to pick ourselves up after being devastated and marred by trauma? How do we find the motivation to work our way forward?

Reclaiming the parts of us that we lost can help us focus forward. See Reclaiming our Identity After Trauma. That includes rediscovering our passion for music, nature, art, or whatever speaks to our heart. Passion can be a great motivator to work our way through our trials.

Sometimes, it’s about finding new passions—activities that speak to our soul. I have a friend who, after years of struggling with PTSD and other emotional and mental difficulties, ventured out to a drawing class. She found a freedom in expressing herself with pictures that she didn’t have before. She found a new way to cope, and it helped her move forward.

Focusing forward sometimes means letting go of the past. Trauma can change us and our circumstances. Maybe what once brought us joy is no longer possible. It is so tempting to force our current life into the mold of what used to be. It can be frustrating and discouraging and even zap us of the energy to move on at all. So how do we find new motivations? Or the courage to pursue the light we crave?

Constant Light

Abuse of any kind undermines our sense of self-worth and alienates us from society in general. It can seem nearly impossible to find the energy to reach beyond ourselves or even see beyond the pain we have endured. But reaching out can free us from the prison of the abuse.

Often, when we feel we have nothing left to give, we can discover new energy and motivation by reaching out to encourage someone else. It doesn’t take much, and it can turn our focus forward with renewed strength. Finding ways to help others gives us the strength to challenge self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that keep us stuck in the past.

Still, in my darkest times, service, music, activity, and even cherished relationships did not have the power to lift me out of the pit of despair that threatened me. The only light that was strong enough to permeate the darkness was thoughts of a loving Savior—a Higher Power that knew me, my struggles, and the way forward.

I have often thought of the story of Peter in the New Testament. At Jesus’ invitation, he walked on the water for a moment, but when his focus turned to the waves, he began to sink. He could only move forward when he focused on Jesus Christ.

It’s the same for us. Whatever other good and motivating things are before us, the light of Christ is what can lift us above the darkness. Focus on Him gives us the energy to get up and move forward.

Focusing Forward

Focusing forward and focusing on the Light can cure our blindness. In doing that, we can rediscover new motivation and energy to pursue a life we can thrive in—one that is uniquely our own.

When storms of doubt, fear, or pain cloud our vision, Focus on the Light.

When old traumas want to pull us into the past and zap us of hope, Focus on the Light.

When the effects of past traumas haunt the present, Focus on the Light.

When dreams seem out of reach, hold onto hope and Focus on the Light.

Remember—”You deserve life. You deserve dignity. You deserve a chance at hope and love.”