Focusing on your Sphere of Influence

I don’t know about you but lately I’ve been feeling the weight of so many things happening in this world. Whether it’s the latest news story, the challenging job market or my own injury recovery, there are so many things in our world that we can’t control. It’s very easy to get bogged down in negativity and focus on things that we aren’t able to change.

I know I am not alone as I’ve been talking to people around me about this and I see this often with the clients I am working with. Many of them feel stuck in the current job market and overwhelmed if they are dealing with a work challenge that they can’t influence. In these situations, it’s easy to feel like we have no control or agency.

As I was reflecting on this topic this morning, I was reminded of Viktor E. Frankl’s quote “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” His quote is always a reminder for me that we always have a choice as to how we respond to something or someone.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by things that are out of your control. Take a moment to shift your focus from all of the things that are out of your control to what you CAN control. When we shift our focus to what we can control, we regain our agency and our power back which can be really important in difficult moments.

Take a few moments to think about your situation and what you can change in this moment or how you want to respond in this moment.

I am not saying these shifts are always easy and at times we need others to support us through that process whether it be a therapist, coach or just a trusted friend.

I hope this helps you find a new perspective today if your world is feeling heavy.