Shifting the Spotlight

I heard this on a podcast today as people were talking about the mental game behind running:

"Think about your mind as a spotlight. Whatever you shine it on, you are going to get more of that thing. If you are shining it inward and if it's negative, you are just going to get more negative inward self-talk. If you shine it on positive self-talk, you are going to get more of that. The key is that all of us have the ability to shift the spotlight. We can shift it into thoughts or out into the environment. When you focus outward, it helps you get out of your own head and you can focus on something else....If you shine it on doubt, you'll get a lot of doubt.  If you shine it on anxiety, you'll get more of that. It's not that those experiences are not going to be there. You can't just magically remove them. It's about noticing when those come up and being able to shift your focus to other things." 

As I heard this, I thought of this race ahead and how it's easy right now to focus on the aches and pains that have cropped up and wonder if I'll be up to the challenge.  This pushes me to instead focus on gratitude that I'm 45 and am able to run this well and this far. I can go to the start line and just test my limits that day and do the best I can when the time comes.  

It prompts me also to pray for your mind that you will have the flexibility to shift the spotlight when you need to in life. And when you get stuck with the spotlight on the wrong things, just do a quick turnaround and shine it elsewhere.