Razor Sharp Focus Quotes

The upside of culling people from my life is that my focus has become very clear. My vision has become razor sharp. I now work to see people, not as I’d rewrite them, but as they have written themselves. I see them for who they are. And for who I am with them. Because it’s not merely about surrounding myself with people who treat me well. It’s also about surrounding myself with people whose self-worth, self-respect and values inspire me to elevate my own behavior.

We know from the now-iconic 1970s Good Samaritan study that the single greatest predictor of uncaring, unkind, and uncompassionate behavior, even among people who have devoted their lives to the welfare of others, is a perceived lack of time — a feeling of being rushed. The sense of urgency seems to consume all of our other concerns — it is the razor’s blade that severs our connection to anything outside ourselves, anything beyond the task at hand, and turns our laser-sharp focus of concern onto the the immediacy of the self alone.

When you dream, do not worry about how you must orchestrate events to ensure your success. Focus instead on why your dream is important to you. When you define your dream with razor-sharp clarity and articulate why you want to pursue it, answers about how to do it will begin to become clear.

Right away, Hawk started cutting through the webbing to free the guard. Along with shooting huge web ball projectiles, the mother spider also used her extra-long legs to swipe at us. The attacks were slow, but her legs were razor sharp, so we had to focus on avoiding them. The combination of giant web balls and leg swipes made fighting with the spider creepers much more difficult. And as if the new distractions from the mother weren’t enough, the number of hybrid spiders that enclosed us grew thanks to some reinforcements that came from somewhere within the lair. “Man, where are all these spiders coming

The Middengard Wyrm had arrived at last. Precisely according to Bryce’s plan. She’d been dripping blood for it all this way, leaving a trail, constantly scraping off her scabs to reopen her wounds—ones she’d intentionally inflicted on herself by “falling” into the stream. If the Wyrm relied on scent to hunt, then she’d left a veritable neon sign leading right to them. She hadn’t known when or how it would attack, but she’d been waiting. And she was ready. Bryce fell back as not only shadows, but blue light flared from Azriel—right alongside the ripple of silver flame from Nesta. Back-to-back, they faced the massive creature with razor-sharp focus. Ataraxia gleamed in Nesta’s hand. Truth-Teller pulsed with darkness in Azriel’s. Now or never. Her legs tensed, readying to sprint. Nesta’s eyes slid to Bryce’s for a heartbeat. As if understanding at last: Bryce’s “unhealing” hand. The blood she’d wiped on the walls. Her musing about the linked river system in these caves, sussing out what they knew regarding the terrain and the Wyrm. To unleash this thing—on them. “I’m sorry,” Bryce said to her. And ran.

By the middle of the 17th century in Japan the concept of focus had evolved to a high level of sophistication and had taken on the psychological overtones that we will examine later in this chapter. In his classic on strategy, A Book of Five Rings (1645), the samurai who is best known in the West, Miyamoto Musashi, removed the concept from the physical world entirely by designating the spirit of the opponent as the focus: Do not even consider risking a decision by cold steel until you have defeated the enemy’s will to fight.59 This is a revealing statement by a man reported to have won some sixty bouts, virtually all of which ended in the death of his opponent (not surprising, when you consider that the samurai long sword, the tachi, was a four foot blade of steel, sharp as a modern razor, and strong enough to chop cleanly through a water pipe.) Once you accept Musashi’s dictum as a strategic principle, then you might ask how to carry it out, how to actually defeat the opponent’s spirit. Musashi was no mystic, and he grounded all his methods in real actions his students could take. We will encounter him and his techniques many times in this book. The ability to rapidly shift the focus of one’s efforts is a key element in how a smaller force defeats a larger, since it enables the smaller force to create and exploit opportunities before the larger force can marshal reinforcements.

When we’re wholly focused and engaged, self-consciousness doesn’t affect us. We act without worry regarding our mistakes, other people’s expectations, and how others perceive us.

The upside of culling people from my life is that my focus has become very clear. My vision has become razor sharp. I now work to see people, not as I’d rewrite them, but as they have written themselves. I see them for who they are. And for who I am with them. Because it’s not merely about surrounding myself with people who treat me well. It’s also about surrounding myself with people whose self-worth, self-respect and values inspire me to elevate my own behavior. People who require that I stay truthful and kind and not totally crazy. Not eating every single thing in sight. Not hiding. Not saying no. I want Ride or Dies who make me want to be a better person.

Examine the landscape of your purpose and focus on it until it becomes a clear structure. Never allow anything to distract you from your path. Maintain a razor sharp focus.

Examine the landscape of your purpose and focus on it until it becomes a clear structure. Never allow anything to distract you from your path. Maintain a razor-sharp focus.

Examine the landscape of your purpose and focus on it until it becomes a clear structure. Never allow anything to distract you from your path. Maintain a razor-sharp focus.

Deprive an individual of their REM-sleep dreaming state, and the emotional tuning curve of the brain loses its razor-sharp precision. Like viewing an image through frosted glass, or looking at an out-of-focus picture, a dream-starved brain cannot accurately decode facial expressions, which become distorted. You begin to mistake friends for foes.

I learned not to wait for my muse.

Here are a few helpful tips for replacing your “yes” habit with a “no” habit: Always know what is important to you (this is where you should spend your time). Recognize that saying “no” rejects the request, not the person making it. Create a few graceful responses (e.g., “I’d like to help you, but I’m swamped right now.”). Offer an alternative (e.g., “My schedule is packed today and tomorrow. Can I help you on Thursday?”). Be candid and clear (say, “No, I won’t be able to attend tonight” rather than “Umm, I’m not sure…”). Grow comfortable with missing out.

If your inner critic is out of control, try the following whenever it rears its head: Write down the charge made by your inner critic in the second person. For example, “I’ll never find someone to love me” becomes “You’ll never find someone to love you.” This tactic severs your attachment to the claim. Rather than accepting it at face value, you’re more likely to question it. Dispute the charge. Demand supporting evidence. Then, scrutinize the evidence. (It won’t survive this challenge.) Recall incidents that counter the charge. For example, following feedback at your job, recall your successful projects. Imagine advising a friend whose inner critic has made a similar charge. For example, you wouldn’t say, “You are incompetent and useless.” Instead, you’d say, “You made a mistake. Big deal. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s not the end of the world.” Show yourself the same compassion.

If you struggle with perfectionism, try the following tips. They’ll help you to overcome it. When you make a mistake, remember that it doesn’t mean disaster. Most mistakes are fixable. Some can be ignored entirely because they’re inconsequential. Ask yourself whether the time, effort, and stress related to perfection are worthwhile in light of your goals. This encourages you to see the larger picture. Regard your efforts as a “first draft.” First drafts contain mistakes. Acknowledge that these mistakes can be resolved later during subsequent drafts. This will help alleviate your fear of making them. Track and celebrate your progress. You can make a ton of mistakes and still accomplish something worth self-praise. Remind yourself why you’re doing the activity. This encourages you to see the big picture rather than get hung up on the minor details.

How can we become clear about our purpose, goals, and priorities? The following tips will help. Write down specifically what you’d like to achieve in the short term. For example, “I want a perfect score on my next exam,” “I want to beat my record in this sporting event,” or “I want to finish writing this novel by the end of the month.” Express why you’d like to achieve this goal. The plainer your reason, the greater your sense of clarity about the actions you need to take. Determine how you’ll measure your success. Simpler is better. An example would be your score on your next exam. You’ll know immediately whether you’ve achieved your goal. Deduce a worst-case scenario in the event you fail. This scenario will almost certainly be less severe than your imagination suggests. Create a contingency plan. Decide what you’ll do if you fail to achieve your goal. Will you spend more time studying for your next exam? Will you modify your physical training regimen? Will you commit to writing more words per day?

Grief sinks the tips of her razor-sharp claws into my chest, and I lift my face to feel the stinging bite of snow against the tops of my cheeks, focusing on anything else to keep breathing, keep moving. I’ll mourn later, always later.

without— Mom. Grief sinks the tips of her razor-sharp claws into my chest, and I lift my face to feel the stinging bite of snow against the tops of my cheeks, focusing on anything else to keep breathing,

When you have big dreams, do not let small things distract you. Ignore the noise and the naysayers. With a razor-sharp focus, endeavour to bridge the gap between your dreams and reality.