Financial Focus…Eyes of a Hawk

Overwhelm. Procrastination. Anxiety. Loss of control.  Any of these emotions feel familiar to you? We see it played out just about everywhere we look today. It’s all over the news and other various media outlets. European crisis. US Jobs/Unempolyment report. US Presidential race. Governments. I could easily go on and on. Can you see how it has played out in your own lives? Have you allowed these feelings to be the basis of your financial and non-financial decisions? Have you taken on the emotions of the mass collective; no longer able to see clear to your own sense of Well-Being?

Last week during one of my runs at Knox Farm I noticed that my energy level was waning. I felt that everything about my run was in a place of resistance. My legs were fatigued and cramped. My breath and endurance compromised. My throat pounded. I stopped mid trail, closed my eyes, and asked for inner guidance. So I was sent to continue on my trail run but, this time I was ‘told’ to pay close attention to where my focus was and note the consequences. My initial focus was on the trail, 1-2 steps ahead of me. My breathing was easy, body felt strong. I came to a clearing and in the far distance I could see the red barns that marked where my truck was parked. I shifted my focus to that of the red barns and immediately I began to observe the changes in my body and mindset. My legs began to give out, my breathing was strained, and my thoughts were “Holy crap I have a really long way to go–I need to stop and take a break–I feel awful, this is painful.” As soon as I noted the essence of my thoughts, I returned my focus to just 1-2 steps in front of me; feeling the ground each time my foot hit the path. Calm returned. Breathing eased. Legs gained strength and momentum. And to my delighted surprise, I reached the red barns more quickly than I had anticipated and with greater ease!

I believe that when we look too far into the distance, we become overwhelmed, anxious, and feel out of control both physically and mentally because we have taken ourselves out of the present moment. We lose focus, our vision blurs. We easily fall prey to the emotions of the mass collective as well. Influenced greatly by our media, we become entangled with the limiting beliefs and thoughts of others, making it difficult to see our way to inner clarity. Thereby increasing our risk of making hasty and ill-timed financial (and non-financial) decisions. Stop in your tracks, become neutral and present. Ask yourself, “Are you lusting after outcomes (falling short of goals) or focused on the task for its own sake?” You will find your answer within yourself, not in outside advice. Trust your answer. Let that guide you in your next decision.

Focus with the eyes of a hawk. “The spirit of hawk represents the ability to see meaning in ordinary experiences and will help you to become more observant. Many of the messages Hawk guides bring are about freeing yourself of thoughts and beliefs that are limiting your ability to soar above your life and gain a greater perspective. It is this ability to soar high above to catch a glimpse of the bigger picture that allows Hawk people to survive and flourish.”-All Totems