Crafting Your Focus

Part One: The Marksman

I have often marveled at the skill of a marksman.

They keep their focus on the target, and everything else surrounds that focus, and makes it sharper.  The precision required takes a lot of practice, and this includes aiming under stress. Even as the arrow is released, it still faces the elements of nature, and the target does not change. The focus remains and the level of distraction is eliminated.

My claim to fame as a marksman is a poor attempt at playing a game of darts.  Hitting the board has always been a tough one for me, an exercise in futility, but the skill is not lost on me at all. I am in awe every time I see a player hit the target and in most cases, under the influence of a drink or two.

My indulgence in detective series and movies, specifically the sniper kind, have highlighted the various aspects that need to be taken into consideration when aiming at a target.  Not only are the weapon, the distance and the elements of nature in play, but also the stillness of the marksman. The heart rate, the singlemindedness and the breathing.

All this for one shot. One shot at the target. This gets me thinking about the energy we expend when we focus on one thing and one thing only, and all the dynamics that come into play as a result. It gets me thinking about how our minds are at play all the time, and the amazing possibilities of hitting a target when we are fully aligned.