Focus: The Quiet Force That Shapes Your Life
I want you to pause for a moment and notice what has your focus right now.
What’s running through your mind most often?
Is it thoughts like:
If only I didn’t _______, maybe I could _________.
I could, but what about _________.
I wish I had _________ when I was younger.
Or maybe the old coaching favorite:
If you had a magic wand, what would you want?
It’s a fine question—but I like to go a little further. Because I don’t think most grown women realize that we’re still growing up. We’re still becoming. And it’s okay to change your mind, choose another path, or dream a new dream—no matter how old you are.
When I picture you, I see a woman in her prime—silver strands like tinsel catching the light, energy still humming beneath a life of hard-earned wisdom and courage. You’ve lived. You’ve learned. You’ve shined through storms. So now…
What would you do? Who would you be? How would you live?
Focus Guides—But Only if You Move
Most of us would agree that focus guides our lives. But focus without movement is just mulling. You can think, talk, or even daydream about a new path, but until you start walking—your focus has nowhere to lead you.
At the same time, focus can trap us. If we’re constantly replaying the past or centering our attention on pain, regret, or problems, our focus becomes the very thing that keeps us stuck.
But when we get clear about who we want to be and no longer gripping old “glory identities” like when I was young, when I was thin, when I was in a band—we create space for something new.
This is who I am.
This is who I want to become.
That clarity draws you forward.
Focus Can Heal or Hinder
Here’s a personal example.
When I first stopped drinking, everyone said I needed to “focus on recovery.” But for me, that kind of focus would have gotten me drunk again.
Instead, I focused on who I wanted to be and got excited about who I could be. I didn’t have all the information about who I was yet; I was still discovering her. So I followed my curiosity.
My path was curiosity, not conformity and that made all the difference.
That framing saved me. It kept me open, hopeful, and guided by possibility instead of fear.
Now, I understand everyone is wired differently. For some, recovery programs are life-saving. For others, like me, they keep the focus on the very thing we want to move beyond.
And that’s okay. We don’t all have to take the same road to freedom. What matters is the direction of your focus and whether it points you toward your light or back into your shadow.
Refocus on Your Light
This is how powerful focus can be. It can create or destroy. Expand or confine. Heal or harm.
So, I’ll ask again, what has your focus right now?
Maybe your mind feels scattered, with thoughts flying in every direction. That’s okay. Stillness reveals clarity. If you were to write them down, I bet a theme would appear—a thread of longing, fear, or possibility that’s quietly guiding your attention.
Notice it. Name it. And then ask:
Does this focus reflect who I want to become?
Because whatever holds your focus, holds your future.
And you can always choose to refocus on your light.
When you do, that’s when life begins to take shape again not from old stories or outside expectations, but from the truth of who you are right now.
That’s what Week Eight in Return to Light is all about — Build It Bright.
Once we remember our light, we begin building from it — designing lives that reflect the woman we’ve become and the woman we’re still becoming.
Not rushed. Not perfect. But with presence, love, and intention.
So if you’re ready to stop circling your pain and start creating from your light, I’d love to have you join us this week. Let’s build it bright.
Teresa Rodden Return to Light
Author’s Note
Inspired by a morning walk reflection from Teresa Rodden, author of Return to Light – A Wake-Up Call for the Woman You Were Meant to Be. Join Teresa each week for the Return to Light Gatherings — a live companion experience where we explore each chapter together, one insight, one light at a time.
