Focus, unpleasant things and happiness in the end.

March was not a good month for me. My 2 year old son got ill and we have spent one week in a hospital where he was treated. We were closed in a small confined space. One bed room with a bathroom. Things happened quite fast but when emotions have subsided, I have realised, what exactly we’re there for. Our goal was 'my son is cured’. That was the only thing that brought us there.

My son was doing everything that was necessary for recovery, to be healthy again. He spend long hours of drip sessions, he was taking pills, undergoing everyday examinations and he did all those unpleasant stuff.

We shared the same goal with him, and I supported him along the way. I was feeding him, reading books, playing car movies on a tablet, driving toy cars on the floor, etc. All those things to keep his mood in good shape. Good mood is a form of treatment and essential for recovery, that’s why we were doing it.

I have also done some stuff for me. When he felt asleep, I used bathroom to keep my body in good condition, and went to bed as well. Hm… did I do it for me? Nope. I needed to be full of energy the next day, because I needed to support my son. I ate even when I was not hungry because of stress. Just to keep myself running. Why? To support my son.

This experience taught me two things.

Focus
All day, when I was doing something, whether for my son or for myself, it was all connected with the one goal – my son needs to be healthy. I wasn’t doing stupid things like staying late at night and waking up unconscious or eating fast food. There was no space for risky behaviors as target goal could be jeopardised. I realised that when you’re really focused on something, all things you do consciously or subconsciously are toward the goal.

String of unpleasant things ends with happiness
What was the thing that forced us to be closed in a small room for a week and doing unpleasant things everyday (yes, it was unpleasant for me as well – damn, I’m his dad)? It was the incredible desire to get something. I was ready to do any nasty things just to get this happen, to make my child healthy again. My focus was on the end result, no on a single action. That’s why I survived.

Focussed
Target Orientation