Deepak Chopra recently spent two weeks on a “monk’s journey” in Thailand. The author shaved his head and walked barefoot through neighboring villages begging for alms.

After a few days, a monk asked Chopra how he was doing.

“Walking barefoot is painful on these rocky roads,” said Chopra.

”When you walk, the foot on the ground feels pain,” said the monk. “The foot in the air feels fine. Focus on that foot.”

Hmmm. There’s a pretty good metaphor for lots of things in life, including creative projects.

Because we sometimes tend to focus on the one or two things that are painful rather than on the many things that feel fine. And when we do, negativity sets in, energy drains and creativity suffers.

If during a project you find yourself obsessed with the painful “foot on the ground,” make a quick list of all the people and things going right with the project. Redirect focus to the pain-free foot in the air.

“Where your concentration goes,
your energy flows and that’s what grows.”
Alex Guerrero, fitness coach