ABOUT HIDDEN FOCUS
QUESTION: Why would someone need help with focus? MARY: Focus is one of the most important abilities we need to navigate our personal and professional lives today. Many people think focus is the ability to filter out all distractions. It's much more important than that. It's using all your senses, your memory, you ability to observe, a willingness to develop perceptions beyond the obvious interpretation of what you observe, and more. Focus helps you to find ways to deal with everything from going about your every day, to potentially life-threatening situations, so that you don't simply 'get by,' but thrive, and possibly save your life or someone else's. QUESTION: Okay, so what makes you the person to 'guide' people to find focus? MARY: From a young age, it was very difficult for me to be around a number of people in one place such as school, a movie theater, parties, without feeling a sensory overload. More than one or two people and I would become physically and emotionally overwhelmed by all the sights, sounds, smells, and the emotions of others. Back then, there was no internet, Xbox, WiFi, smartphones, or anything digital. I found reading helped, particularly mystery books. I immersed myself in the world of the mystery, following the detective step-by-step, learning how they observed, noticed how they paid attention to details, how their perceptions were formed and adjusted, and how that led to their interpretations and solutions. Think of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes solving another impossible mystery! By the time I was in college, I had discovered the highly creative and collaborative world of theatre, and was thrilled to discover that observation, attention to details, perception, and interpretation were among the tools used to write a play, perform a role, direct a play, design a set, lights, costumes...and it all came together for me... All those mysteries I'd read used tools and techniques to focus...to find a solution to a mystery. Creativity and imagination were important factors, too. I discovered I'd been applying those tools and techniques without consciously realizing it in my every day life. Whether I was on or off stage, I could stay fully aware of everything while still being able to focus whenever I needed to. And, yes, even to the point of saving my life and others. QUESTION: What about now? MARY: Now, I’m in development and planning to launch the program in 2023. The development process includes looking at the multi-faceted world of Focus; exploring examples of techniques and tools that have been used successfully in the past; learning how others have adapted the ability to focus to help them solve problems and make discoveries in science, art, literature, theater and in everyday life; and exploring relatively new and in-development technologies to see if they can help teach by creating virtual, adaptive environments to practice the varies elements of focus. While technological advances are important, my approach is to emphasize what already exists without relying solely on technical assistance, i.e. no matter where you are at any given point in your day, the elements of focus can be practiced and used. Soon, beta testing will begin with a variety of individuals and groups of all ages, backgrounds and interests. The program taps into my Theater background (See: PROFILE) to offer a unique coaching approach in sessions I refer to as mini-adventures. These mini-adventures are designed to support learning in fun and practical ways, using current environments, from natural to human-made, and technology only when it serves to support more experienced levels of focus. The mini-adventures can be tailored to an individual (one-on-one coaching) or to a group, e.g. a school , a community group, a company, etc. The program will be offered in several formats, e.g. live; video conferencing; and webinars. A virtual reality program will also become part of programming geared toward individuals who cannot otherwise participate in the environments noted above. If you'd like to be kept updated and/or have questions, please contact me by clicking on Comments/Questions. Mary Monroe |