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The Power of Focus
by Jack Canfield, et al
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I am always trying to make the point that what you are as a person will determine what you will be as a guitarist and musician. There are many skills aside from what we think of as musical talent that contribute to, and indeed make possible, the eventual emergence of real musical ability. I have written about these skills in such essays as "Practice Organization", "The Importance of Repertoire", and "Measuring Your Progress", to name a few.
Recognizing this fact early in life, I have made a habit of reading a wide variety of what are today known as "self-help" books. Along the way, I have discovered a number of them that contributed immeasurably to my success in my efforts to become a good guitarist, understand my own obstacles, and also to figure out how to make it through this world without a "real job"! I believe I have a knack for picking out the good books, the ones where fundamental truths about the world and the people living in it are communicated in a powerful way.
One of the most potent books I have come across is called in recent times is "The Power Of Focus", written by 3 top achievers, in fact, the 3 guys who created the popular "Chicken Soup For Absolutely Everything" series of books (none of which I have read, by the way!). "The Power Of Focus" caught my eye one day while browsing through the rack in the Business Section of a local book store, and it is literally jam packed with wisdom about what it takes to be a great achiever in this world. The book is structured into 10 Focusing Strategies, each one a powerful primer on a vital aspect of becoming a powerful person. The best thing about the book is the author's ability to present the essential concepts of becoming a "person of power", (one who has the ability to create change), penetrate to the fundamental principles of each topic, and then to give the reader specific action steps, which, if followed, will inevitably begin to steer one into the direction of what is called "success" (which is nothing but the ability to choose and achieve meaningful goals).
For instance, the first thing I really caught onto in this book was this idea, from the 2nd Chapter: discover your most brilliant natural talents, and spend most of your time doing what you do best. This idea has very useful to me in building GuitarPrinciples, as it helps me define what I should be spending my time on, and what I should be having other people do. It is very easy to get caught up in wasting time trying to do "everything". One sentence on p.31 really hit home: "you must spend most of your time every week doing what you do best, and let others do what they do best". The authors even use as an example a Rolling Stones concert, making the point that you don't see Mick Jagger hauling amps and setting up equipment, the Stones simply focus on what they do best: singing and playing.
Of course, many other ideas that more directly relate to achieving mastery in a particular skill are laid out, such as:
--the importance of habits, and self-examination techniques for discovering where you are using your time and how that relates to achieving your goals (which often makes us discover we don't HAVE any goals),
--the importance of planning and prioritization, and knowing our own strengths and weaknesses (are we starters of finishers), and the wisdom of aligning our strengths with someone whose strength's compensate for our weaknesses (just ask Geraldine, who loves "bookkeeping" type stuff, how I feel about sitting down to look at the monthly sales reports and other fun "numbers" stuff, ugh, where's my guitar!).
One of the most important concepts for those of us committed to our excellence is the "and then some" technique. Using this, we inquire of others or ourselves "no matter how great I am at this or that (guitar, organization, being a parent, whatever), where can I improve, what is the weakest part of my otherwise wonderful self". You see, most people go around trying to look better than they are, trying to hide their weak parts from themselves and others. The wise person is always more interested in discovering their faults than focusing on their virtues, that is where growth lies. Throughout my life, applying this one concept alone has done wonders.
I always feel that if I get even one new, and really powerful and useful insight from a book, it is worth the money many times over, because I will make that idea pay off for me big time as my life unfolds. I got that and much more from "The Power Of Focus". Of course, at this point, I have come into contact with a good number of these concepts already, but I always say "the truth cannot be heard or spoken too often", and I love to be reminded of these fundamental principles of success, as well as hearing them explained from new angles. Sometimes you get reminded of the right thing at just the right time, or have something emphasized that you knew in the back of your mind, maybe!
Every principled player knows that the ability to pay great attention, or focus, is the foundation of our ability to create growth in our playing. The biggest problem people have, in guitar or life in general is this: they don't know how to focus, and they don't know what to focus on. Just as I have done for guitar players in The Principles, the authors of "The Power Of Focus" clearly explain the major obstacles people face that prevent them from achieving, and what to do about them. You will discover where you are, how you got where you are, and how to get somewhere else. But, like The Principles, your life does not change simply because you buy the book! You must read it, and you must use it, intensely.
I can remember every book that had a major impact in my life, and I am grateful for every one of them, and that I had the fortune to find them, and the sense to read them and take seriously what I read. I think you will feel that way about "The Power Of Focus", for what it will do for you as a developing guitarist and musician, and anything else you undertake in life........ read other book reviews
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