The Spoonful of Focus

I want share this beautiful story I one heard;

Once a student monk went to his master and said "Master, I can't live in this Temple anymore. I want to leave this place and go to a peaceful and quiet Monastery." Then the master monk asked "Why? What's wrong with this Temple? Tell me what happened?"

Then the student monk said "See, everyone in this Temple are toxic to me. There are some monks who are too much into politics in this Temple. And there are some other monks who always talks negative stuff about me and about others. And there are some others who spend their whole day doing nothing but just gossiping. I don't think that I can practice my spiritual life in this Temple. Please let me go to a peaceful and a quiet Monastery where there is no toxic people around me."

Then the master monk said "Okay, I will let you go but before going you have to do me a favor for the one last time." Then the student monk said "Tell me master what should I do for you?"

Then the master monk took a spoonful of water and gave it to the student Monk and said "You must carry this spoonful of water around the monastery and you should bring it to me. But here's the trick, You must never spill a single drop of water from it. If you can do it I will let you go to a peaceful Monastery."

So thinking, that the master will let him go to a peaceful Monastery by completing this weird request, the student monk took the Spoonful of water and carried it around the monastery fully focused and without spin feeling a single drop from it. So after a few hours the student monk came back to the master with a happy face and said, "Master, I did it! I carried this spoonful of water all around the monastery even without spilling a drop from it. So now let me go to a peaceful Monastery."

Then the master monk said, "Okay my student, you are free to go but before you go just tell me one thing. While you were carrying the Spoonful of water around the monastery did you hear any of the mons talking about politics? Did you hear any of the monks gossiping about other people? Did you hear any of the monks talking negative stuff about you?" Then the student monk said, "Master, I was focused on the spoon and I didn't have any time to listen to all those noises."

Just then the master monk said "See my student if you are fully focused on your goal and if you're fully focused on your purpose you don't have time to listen to all those other negative noises around you. Remember, wherever you go in this world you will meet negative people around you. But if you're fully focused on your goal and on your larger purpose, all the other negative people and all the other negative words that you hear are nothing but just noises."

So guys, it is all about what we focus in our life. The more we focus on other people's behaviors, other people's words other people's lives, there will be many toxic people around us. But if we are focused on ourselves, our goals, our purpose, all those negative stuff will become nothing but just a noise.

See, it is easy to criticize other people. It is easy to see the dark side and the negative side of people. But it takes a heart of bravery and kindness to see the bright side of people. We all have imperfections in our life. We all make mistakes. We all make bad choices. And all those faults imperfections are the things that makes us who we are. So when you work with people or when you are on social media you will come across with people that you don't like. You will come across with ideas that you don't agree with. Remember, in all those times you have the power to choose whether to react with negativity or to respond to them with positivity. So friends, it is all all about what you choose to do and what you focus in your life so focus on yourself and choose to respond to them with positivity.