(Jesse from England sent us this Angel with “Wellie” – Wellington boots from England, she saw a photo on my blog of Maria’s boots and thought of her.)Thanks Jesse.

I am reminded every day in our very distracted world of the power of focus. Sometimes, in the morning, I am drawn to look at the news, and one thing or another is always upsetting. In the writer’s world, mood is everything and if I am distracted, I am easily thrown off my track.

In the morning, not arguments for me, no phone calls, e-mail, chores or obligations. In the morning, I focus on my work. When people ask to buy me a cup of coffee at 10 a.m. in the morning, or “wave” to me on Facebook in mid-morning, I am offended, not just because I am being intruded on, I am offended because it is disrespectful to my work.

I am offended on behalf of my work, a discipline for me that is nearly sacred.

I work, just like everyone else and have worked just about every morning of my adult life, I do not schedule things or take walks in the woods or have long lunches with friends.

There are so many easy distractions in our world, just look at our cell phones, political arguments, weather forecasts, social media messages. I have been working for years on learning how to focus, it is some of the most important work I have done on myself. Lack of focus, not time, is the problem for so many people.

I think in so many ways it is has been the major spiritual problem I face.

How I spend my time is precious, especially in the morning, but all day.

I focus on my work, on my writing, on the blog, on my photographs, on my work with the Army of Good. Watching the news, doing side chores, paying bills at those time is a distraction, I can so easily lose my focus.

I am getting better and better at it. The philosopher Herman Hesse wrote that life is all about choices and focus. When I meet a person who is unhappy, whining, frustrated, I usually come to see that he or her has trouble focusing on what it is they really want to do.

The philosopher Herman Hesse wrote that is was not for him to judge another man’s life, that is the essence of loss of focus. “I must judge, I must choose, I must spurn, purely for myself. For myself alone.”

This has come to be the centerpiece of my own life. I have to act and think and believe, purely for myself, even if the choice for me is to help others. One does not preclude the other.

This year, the choice for me is to find a way to honor Christmas in the spirit of the man whose birth we celebrate. I don’t come to this as a Christian worshipping God, but as a human being celebrating the work of a compassionate and empathetic human being whose forgotten teaches pushed the world towards light and goodness

This is my focus now and for every other day. My focus is strong, and I don’t have room in my life for drama, anger, argument, suspicion,  and hypocrisy, even though I have often been guilty of all of those things.

My focus is my own narrative, my own track, my own meaning in life. This Christmas, my focus is on doing what the inspiration for this season:

“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Bless are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you…”

It is not for me to judge another person’s life, only to remain calm, take some deep breaths and shift my focus to something that does good. I am not alone any longer, I am never alone.