Physics is cool.  I like physics.

Physics helps us explain a lot of things in our world.  It can also provide us with some pretty interesting metaphors for business.  Take, for example, sunlight and the magnifying glass.

The sun is the closest star to our planet.  Stars are hot.  Like, REALLY hot.  The interesting thing is that we are just far enough away that the rays of light from the sun don’t cause us to combust in flames when we go outside.  Sure, when you’re at the beach or in direct sunlight all day, you probably have to wear sunscreen to prevent from getting a sunburn, but you’re not in danger of catching fire.

Physics teaches us that the reason we don’t catch fire in the direct light of the sun is because the rays of the sun are diffused by our atmosphere.  If the rays of the sun were focused together, into a single beam, we’d be in trouble.  Big trouble.

The magnifying glass is an interesting tool.  It’s a type of lens.  A convex lens, to be specific.  When you hold the lens at the right distance between your eye and an object, the object will appear much larger.  This is because the convex shape of the lens takes the diffused rays of light from an object and focuses them on your eye.  This intense focus makes the object look larger than it actually is.

Remember how I told you that we’re just far enough away from the sun that it’s intense heat doesn’t harm us because its light rays are too diffused?  Remember how a magnifying glass uses focus to gather beams of light to make an object appear much closer than it is?  Wanna guess what happens when you hold a magnifying glass just the right distance between the sun and another object?

If that guy had left that pile of paper and sticks outside, it would have never caught fire. The rays of the sun are just too diffused to set it on fire.

When you focus those diffused rays through a lens, however, their power is magnified so much that the paper catches fire in a few seconds.

That’s the power of focus.

In our businesses, focus can have the exact same effect.

We all put forth a lot of effort.  We all have many different gifts and talents.  The problem is, we often diffuse those gifts, talents and effort over time, hiding the power that lies within.  What would happen, if instead of diffusing our gifts, talent, and effort, we focused them?

What could you get done, what goals could you achieve if you focused yourself on them like the sun through a magnifying glass?  How powerful could you be?

I’m guessing that you would be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you really focus yourself.  I mean really focus.  I’m not talking about removing distractions.  That’s not the same thing.

Focus doesn’t need to remove the distractions.  Focus cuts through the distractions.  

Now imagine what would happen if we, collectively, focused our gifts and talents and efforts?  What would happen then?

You and I already have what it takes to start some fires.  All it takes is focus.

It’s time to set our lives, our businesses, and this industry ablaze. . .