The Power of Focus

Unyielding Focus: Nehemiah's 52-day Triumph Over Adversity. A Tale of Leadership, Vision, and Resilience in Rebuilding Jerusalem's Walls Against Formidable Opposition

The Power of Focus 

Focus is the act of concentrating attention or effort on a particular thing. This reminds me of the popular saying, “Slow and steady wins the race.

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It reminds me of Nehemiah in the Bible. Nehemiah is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and serves as the central character in the Book of Nehemiah, which is part of the Old Testament. The narrative is set in the 5th century BCE, when Nehemiah, a Jewish cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes I, hears about the dire condition of Jerusalem and its walls.

Upon learning that the walls of Jerusalem were in ruins and its inhabitants were vulnerable to attacks, Nehemiah was deeply distressed. He sought permission from King Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. The king granted his request and even provided him with resources for the project.

Nehemiah faced various challenges during the reconstruction, including opposition from neighboring enemies and internal conflicts. Despite the obstacles, he rallied the people of Jerusalem to work together, and with determination, they successfully rebuilt the walls in a remarkably short time.

In addition to the physical restoration of the city, Nehemiah also played a role in the spiritual renewal of the people. He instituted reforms to bring the community back to the observance of the Torah and the proper worship of God.

The story of Nehemiah is often seen as a testament to focus, leadership, perseverance, and the importance of relying on faith in times of adversity.

What does being focused remind you of? 

The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Matthew 6:22 

It also relates to our contemporary lives, when we are able to invest time in gaining knowledge on one particular subject matter. It becomes so clear that we can even teach it to others. 

The same thing happens with God when we devote our time to knowing Him. We become more intimate with Him, and he begins to reveal Himself to us. 

What Focus is not 

Success is not about doing everything at once or being a jack of all trades. 

There is a need to prioritize what matters most to your destiny. 

As a student who desires academic excellence, pursue it with all your might.

You might want to choose a role model—someone whose lifestyle you will like to emulate. A mentor will also play a key role in guiding you through your career path. Also, get an accountability partner—someone who keeps you on track in whatever you do. It helps focus on the preset goals. 

Or are you building your own empire? You need to be vast in knowledge, read books, attend seminars, and sign up for mentorship programs to prepare for any opportunity that surfaces in the near future. 

What can help one focus? 

So far, so good. I have met with successful people in business, academics, and politics. Speaking with them gave me insights into some principles that they all followed; they are listed below:

• Clear Vision and Purpose: Nehemiah had a clear vision and a strong sense of purpose. His focus was on the goal of rebuilding the walls to protect the people of Jerusalem. This clarity of vision helped him stay focused on the task at hand, despite the various challenges that arose.

• Discipline is a virtue of highly successful people. It will help one to do the right thing at the right time. Discipline helps one do one thing at a time. Trust me, you won’t be caught playing video games when you should be reading books.

• Time Management: The 52-day completion of the wall is a testament to Nehemiah's focus on time management. He set a challenging but achievable deadline, keeping everyone on track and maintaining a sense of urgency to complete the task efficiently.

• Environment: Keep a good atmosphere. I mean where we live, the people we live with and make friends with, and the kind of content that you feed our minds with. These things matter a lot because they make up one’s personality. It is what you behold that you become. 

• Meditation: Meditation is a practice that involves focusing or clearing your mind using a combination of mental and physical techniques.It allows your mind to do one thing for that period of time. The magic is in meditation; simply keep beholding until it comes to reality. 

What is that one goal? You can start meditating on it today.

Conclusion 

Focus is the key to succeeding in any facet of life—career, business, academics, or politics.

I’ll end with this from Tony Robins: 

“Where focus goes, energy flows. And where energy flows, whatever you're focusing on grows. In other words, your life is controlled by what you focus on. That's why you need to focus on where you want to go, not on what you fear.”.

What would you like to focus on this week? Share it in the comments. I would like to know.