A Lesson On Focus

In a moment, I want you to watch the video below. Again, if you're on Facebook, I don't know that the embedded video will be available unless you click the link at the bottom which takes you to the original post. Anyway, I learned a really important lesson about myself in the past couple days which reminded me of this video and test it represents. So with that in mind, please watch this video, and I'll get back to you with what I learned, aside from the obvious.




A few years ago when I first saw this video, I honestly didn't see the gorilla! I actually went back and watched it again because I wasn't convinced it wasn't two different videos they showed. But sure enough, there was a gorilla in the first showing!

I learned a valuable lesson this weekend about myself. I sometimes unconsciously look for proof of people's care for me in a specific way. If you've ever read the book, The 5 Love Languages, you may have determined already what yours is or are. Among my strongest ones is words of affirmation. I sometimes focus so much on getting words of affirmation that I miss the "gorilla". In other words, people are sometimes shouting to me that they care about me and I'm important to them in ways that have nothing to do with words. But I focus so much on words, that I completely miss it. When I don't get the words I feel I'm needing, I try to extract them, which creates strain on a friendship, not to mention the perception of insecurity.

I have to tell you, learning this lesson has opened my eyes to the broader picture. Rather than having a laser focus on one little element, I need to improve on my ability to see, to truly see things as they really are. In this silly video, all I missed was a guy in a gorilla suit. But if I'm not careful, I could ruin special friendships.