I am a man of many interests. Too many, most probably. The benefit of all these interests is that I know a little about a lot of things and that I can be helpful in most situations. The downfall is that I’m not really that great at too many things because the shiny lights distract me and I jump into something new without completely finishing what I was working on.

It started when I was young and would get interested in something. Then I would get obsessed with it until I reached a point of satisfaction. I got obsessed with a yo-yo until I could walk the dog and rock the cradle. Once I was able to do those tricks, I lost interest. 

I did it with sports as well. I’m a really good tennis player and not bad at basketball either but I’m not great at either. I played both in high school and a little of both in college but when it came time to dedicate myself to one or the other, I chose neither. I was too distracted by so many other options.

I got obsessed with HGTV and just had to flip a house. Eventually, I did and loved it. It sold in about a week for more than the asking price. I made good money and got to flipping the next one. I got a little obsessive and probably spent too much on the second one and then it sat for almost a year before selling. Eventually, I made a little money on that one too. However, that slowed me down a bit but I have gone back down that road a few more times over the years but not as a career. It’s more like a hobby.

Sometimes I find myself jumping from one money-making idea to the next. I’m gonna design and sell T-shirts or open a franchise of some sort or write a book. I hear about someone having success in one area and then I look into it. But then someone else has success in another area. Maybe I should do that instead? The shiny lights never seem to dim and I’m starting to get blinded by them all.

“You can always find a distraction if you’re looking for one.”

~ Tom Kite

Then there’s television and the internet and cell phones and video games. It seems as though technology is conspiring against us to give us more distractions than ever to deal with. Have you ever sat down to watch one show to relax and then wasted your whole day watching meaningless television? I have.

There’s also the logistics of daily life that get in the way. Making meals, feeding kids, going to appointments, paying bills, buying groceries and getting oil changes. They all get in the way of my great ideas. I could be so amazing at stuff if I didn’t always have to do this other stuff.

The problem with doing something significant is that it takes a lot of time and there are so many distractions. How do you focus on something for the excruciatingly long time that it takes to complete it? How do you push yourself to do things that no one else is pushing for? How do you put effort into something every day when you’re not getting paid to do it yet?

At the end of the day, we are all exactly where we wanted to be. We may not realize that but we are. If I wanted to flip houses for a living, I’d be flipping houses. If I wanted to write for a living, I’d be writing for a living. If we wanted to be healthier, we would be. There is no secret society keeping us from eating healthier and working out more. We just use the shiny lights as an excuse not to do what we should be doing.

I would do that but Game of Thrones is premiering tonight. I would go work out but I’m exhausted from running all those errands all day. Have you ever heard yourself say something similar to that? If so, the shiny lights have control of you.

The problem is that there is no light coming out of you to deflect the lights coming at you so all you see are all these other lights and are drawn to them like a bug on a dark night. Be careful. If you get too close to them, you might get burned.

Instead, you must find the light within and focus on it. What is it that makes you shine your brightest? What is it that you can do that makes you feel great about yourself? What are you so passionate about that you will not lose interest in it?  What is your internal light?

Find what you love. Do it every day until you get great at it and become a beacon instead of a distraction. Don’t be afraid to let your light shine.