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Jim L. Smith has more than 45 years of industry experience in operations, engineering, research and development and quality management. You can reach Jim at faceofquality@qualitymag.com.

Jim's Gems: Clarity

October 17, 2011
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Having a clear understanding of what's surrounding us is important. When we are taking pictures, if we don't have a clear, sharp, focus, our images will be blurred and our satisfaction will be distorted. Is that any different from our personal and professional lives? We need to have the same clarity.

For most of us, our life presents an astounding array of options, which can be bewildering. However, this confusion will mostly disappear once we know how to focus. In this scenario, focusing just means to concentrate our attention on those vital few issues that have real meaning in our lives.

When we concentrate our attention on specific issues, whether they be goals, problems or people, we bring all our energies to them and shut out the irrelevant noise. When we choose to focus our attention on the vital few, solutions come more readily. A natural progression then begins to unfold, making it possible to eventually arrive at solutions.

Our experience in life is significantly determined by where and upon what we choose to focus our attention our attention, and ultimately, our energies.

This is much like when we are taking pictures. Unless taking pictures on auto, we select the lens, aperture setting, and focus the lens to bring the picture into sharp focus in order to clarify the image. It is relatively the same approach in other parts of our life.

If we let our attention wander all over the place, we will likely end up feeling bewildered. Without clarity we become confused, disoriented and ineffective. No one else can bring clarity to our lives.

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Clarity

Norma
October 19, 2011
It is important to have a clear picture of what is important in our lives. There is so much going on that things can drop through the cracks as our attention becomes fragmented. Thanks for the reminder. Norma

Clarity

Norma
October 19, 2011
It is important to have a clear picture of what is important in our lives. There is so much going on that things can drop through the cracks as our attention becomes fragmented. Thanks for the reminder. Norma

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