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"What we focus on expands."


A thought by John C. Maxwell & Rob Hoskins in their book, Change Your World (p. 70). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

And this is something we need to let sink into our actions in this day in which we live.


Earlier John said, "Having common values among team members versus not having them is like the difference between a herd of horses and a herd of donkeys when they’re under pressure. Horse trainer Stephen Brown said that when a group of horses encounter a threat, they stand in a circle facing each other with their hind legs pointing outward, ready to kick at their enemy. Donkeys, on the other hand, do just the opposite. They face the threat, but that means when they do kick, they strike each other."

John continues, "Once you’ve determined there is an alignment of values, focus on what you have in common, not your differences. What we focus on expands. If we focus on our differences, our differences increase. If we focus on what unites us, then our unity increases. President John F. Kennedy promoted unity when he said, 'Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring the problems which divide us.'"

Later John says, "At the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin reputedly said, 'We all must hang together or we will hang separately.' The Founding Fathers were a diverse group with different backgrounds and professions from different locations. Though they shared a common language, they identified as citizens of their states, not the common country they were trying to form. It was no accident that they called themselves the United States. But they focused on their common desire for liberty. That is what bound them together, and they knew that if they didn’t remain united, they would lose their cause."

I wonder if we would have beaten this Covid that has been our enemy sooner and that not as many people would have died if we would have faced it together instead of divided. "If we focus on what unites us, then our unity increases." And in that we can truly change our world and make a difference, can't we? Yes, yes! #continuethought

 




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