We are creatures of Habit - entities evolving into what we FOCUS on and what we repeatedly DO. What we will achieve today is not determined by who we meet, or what happens around us. What we achieve will be based purely on what we FOCUS on and what we DILIGENTLY DO.

So lets do a quick check.

In our spare time, what do we do a lot of? What do we do REPEATEDLY?

Do we watch TV? If so, what programmes do we watch?

Lets take the example of watching the Daily News. This is great if we want to know how the country is faring.

But what do most channels do to increase their TRPs? They show shocking things about scams, rapes, murders, arrogance of the political class. Or they show tragic stories.. Arushi.. Nirbhaya.. Sunanda Pushkar's and D.K. Ravi's death.

Does this help us?

Are you kidding me? How could that help us? (unless we are social scientists, or you are a part of the forensic teams studying such tragedies)

Repeatedly watching such news will only make us more suspicious, less trusting & less forgiving.

Do we watch debates that are confrontational? Do we watch because we love witnessing a dominating T.V. anchor use overconfident style and unbridled arrogance to mutilate others through cutting barbs and vitriolic assumptions? What if a part of what we are watching could sink into our subconscious mind, and become a part of us over the next few weeks?

Here is the truth...

What we focus on, becomes a part of us. We shape tomorrow's reality by making unconscious/subconscious adaptations in the mind. Doctors get used to pain, suffering and death, and they become immune to feelings. They need to do this to take logical, rational decisions. They need to protect themselves from getting emotionally sabotaged. But to the members of the patient's family, they appear cold and insensitive. Maybe they even appear arrogant and infallible.

Now that we know a little more about how the mind works, lets look again at our choices of what we watch on T.V.

For those watching family focused serials - Are we watching to get tips on how to improve our family? Or to feel good that others may be in the same stew as we are?

For those who watch Fight Nights, WWF or UFC - Are we doing so to improve our fighting skills? Or are we doing so to watch the victor pulverize the loser?

Those watching sports - Are we becoming better sports stars? Or are we growing into couch potatoes?

It is time to introspect. It is time to look within ourselves for answers.

Here are some of the questions we could ask ourselves:
Are we becoming more of what we need to be?
Are we focused on what will help us in future? Or what will entertain us now?
Are we, as a nation, heading in the right direction?
Finally... lets revisit the learning.

What we are today, is a result of who we were, plus the thoughts we accepted and acted upon. What we will be tomorrow is dependent to a great degree on what we FOCUS ON TODAY.

Lets be more positive
Watch channels that lift the spirit, instead of watching those that make you angry.

Lets be more aware
The words we use and the tone in which we speak is a clear indicator of how the mind is working. Lets check our recent FB, Whatsapp, or Social Media posts from a third person's perspective. This is an excellent way to realize how our mind has been functioning, and may be, we need to change.  
Lets focus on what we want
By militantly trying to eradicate weakness, we propagate more of it. What we resist, persists. Instead, lets focus on what we WANT and work towards it.
I wish you more of Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet, History Channel or whatever else can give you what you really want from life.

First published in Ian Faria's blog