A Monthly Inspirational Viewpoint of Life’s Journeys with Sonia Wignall.
Episode Thirty
I laid in bed early this morning, in error, once again. I was meditating on something that has been a part of my journey for many years, pain. Not physical, but emotional pain. Emotions that over time have directly contributed to my pain. When I shift my focus and waste unredeemable time meditating on past hurts, and traumas, my peace shifts also.
This “foolishness” as a close friend calls it takes time that cannot be redeemed. So much love, energy, creativity, joy, peace and contentment had been lost over the years by me focusing on the wrong thing.
Tiger Woods became a golf legend because he was trained to use the powerful tools of intent, focus and determination. Gymnast Simone Biles left a global competition because midair she was losing focus and realized how dangerous that was. After a period of time, Simone worked on reprogramming her mind, came back intentionally focused and won the gold again.
Nelson Mandela left the pain of Apartheid and prison behind by intentionally focusing on reconciliation, leadership and forward motion. My father got us safely out of Cuba by intentionally focusing on our Freedom.
Our Sovereign God through grace and mercy gives all of us the “free agency”, to think, believe, act and choose our individual intentional focus.
He does clue us however on how to do this. “Forgetting those things that are behind”. The Parable of the sower, the Parable of the10 virgins, etc.
The Story of Jesus’s Life, and my favorite of all, the story of the formidable Old Testament leader, Nehemiah, who guided the Jews when their lives and land was in chaos, to refocus, release fear, rebuild the gates, and fortify their city are just a few examples of the power of intentional focus.
I too am a force to behold when I am focused. Yet there are moments when I shift, freeze and wallow in destructive thoughts, consequently taking my mind and emotions back to the position of pain.
The practice of NLP, Neuro Linguistic Programming, (learning how to reprogram the mind), is exploding. There is a global collective need and desire to leave the trauma behind and intentionally press forward. There is immense reward, power and progress in constructive intentional focus.
This learned NLP practice separates those that are moving forward from those that stay stuck as victims of their own destructive thinking, those that have not learned the power of “intent”.
2025 offers us a “new path” forward. A path that was one the spoken foundations of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. With or without her leadership or encouragement, if we are able to choose well, we can continue to engage in a new and more constructive path forward..
There is a remarkable beautiful little 8 year old girl in Gaza, who was featured on a local public radio station. This child is mastering the practice of focus through storytelling. She is an example on how to shift out of chaos and experience moments of joy.
In the midst of war, death, brokenness, rubble, food and medical supply shortages, chaos, sadness, fear, unrelenting bombing, and pain she is intentionally choosing to subconsciously practice NLP. When she speaks to her journalist friend in the US, she uses every precious moment to intentionally focus on joy. She has chosen to create her own moments of joy out of every painful situation she, her family and friends are facing.
It is painful, but absolutely powerful to hear her speak.
We can thank her for reminding us that we all can choose to stay intentionally focused in forward motion and peace no matter what is going on around us.
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“Prison and the authorities conspired to rob each man of his dignity. In and of itself, that assured that I would survive, for any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose because I will not part with it at any price or under any pressure. I never seriously considered the possibility that I would not emerge from prison one day. I never thought that a life sentence truly meant life and that I would die behind bars. Perhaps I was denying this prospect because it was too unpleasant to contemplate. But I always knew that someday I would once again feel the grass under my feet and walk in the sunshine as a free man.” Nelson Mandela
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,” Philippians 3:12-13
May we all have an “intentional” and prosperous 2025!
Sonia M. Wignall
Sonia M. Wignall is Co-Founder & Board Chair, Diaspora Global Foundation. www.leanintostem.org. She is also a Cultural and Lifestyle Writer. Her articles and monthly column “Perspective” can be found on Diaspora Digital News.
***Note: “I do not give permission for my writings to be used for AI purposes or content, unless my name is shown and the reference to my work is clear. My work is not AI written”.