Does it seem that the whole world is distracted these days? If a solar eclipse will take place this Friday and, like the draw of a full moon, this has an affect on many of us. Is the eclipse to blame or are we simply allowing our minds to take on more and more to the point of being distracted from even our most significant decisions?

Are we judicious in what we allow into our minds, or do we open the floodgate and let it all in. We are not going to achieve our goals unless we learn what to focus upon and what to let go. This is dramatically true for negative influences in our life.

Rosalene Glickman, Ph.D. discusses this necessity in her intriguing book, Optimal Thinking, specifically in her chapter on Optimal Thinking: The Next Step Beyond Positive Thinking. According to Glickman, optimal thinkers:

- Accept what we can't control (like the weather, interest rates, and others' choices) and maximize what we can control.

- Embrace the present, lean into our own intuition, look for other alternatives, examine their pros and cons and then decide which solution will work best within your time constraints.

- Select the optimal one and then let it rest. Having surrendered our best contribution, we can peacefully move on to the next important issue.

Maximize feelings, skill sets, associations, and the life style you choose.

Her point is of course to let go of distractions that don't pertain to you right now, in this moment. Instead, focus upon what does. Sound easy? With practice it can be.

Have you caught yourself in a meeting with thoughts drifting to what you should have put in an earlier memo; or why isn't your team up to par or why do your kids behave in some particular way? Have similar distractions kept you from a good nights sleep?

When you are in a team meeting is the time to focus on your team. When you journal, you can put a strong focus on your family and your own precious Self. Exercising allows you clarity on all important issues. A regular retreat or planning session away from home and office allows you time to separate issues and focus on each in a powerful manner.

If you have a method of eliminating distractions, I would love to hear about it. If you don't, use this as a passionate project this week. You can elevate your life to one filled with conscious decisions. Learn to let the rest go. Discover and focus on your own mode of optimal thinking and lavish in it! Enjoy your discoveries.