After reading theycallmedan's post the other day how he survived a life threating medical emergency and has discovered as a result he is now able to focus more clearly. The shock to the system must do something as I experienced exactly something similar being able to super focus. What he had spoken about resonated with me and was definitely a side effect. Not just about things which are important like putting family first, but being able to focus on a few items because the rest have been discarded. This is not really a topic I have discussed openly before as I do not clearly understand how or why I changed.
I had a blood clot that hit my lung a good 8 or 9 years ago and only knew when I was coughing up blood. The clot had hit my lung taking out a chunk and this is commonly known as the widow maker and more importantly I was still around to fight another day. These types of medical conditions are life changing as your life you once knew changes instantly. What was once important may not necessarily be important anymore. This is actually quite hard to explain mainly due to this feeling natural and it is just how I think and process things.
At first the doctor thought I may have had a brain bleed via the blood thinner medication I was on and I do not think this was the case. When I was in hospital sitting on my own for a good week I had the time to dissect my life and run through the mistakes I had made. The time to reflect was a powerful week and it helped me simplify the path forward and place everything into context. I knew what had to change and I removed the negativity immediately and when I decided to work for myself and started my what would be then 4th business with the previous 3 having failed due to relying on others. I had known why those businesses had failed, but had failed to admit it to myself and by doing that you can move forward.
My family were the first to notice I was a different person and it took me a good 6 months to realise how I had changed. The difference was not obvious to myself and only noticed the change when I was working on a particular project as I would become super focused. Having the ability to see things I would not have necessarily seen before and it really simplified life. This is really a super power that does set you apart from others.
Business became far simpler because I was able to separate the important parts where as in the past it would all have been thrown in the mix. Problems are no longer problems as I can see a solution immediately which makes for a stress free environment. Having a clear thought process allows you to see problems before they arise and the business has benefited from this ability.
I don't know what or how this works when people recover from a near death experience, but I have heard of similar stories by others. I think it is like having a reset by removing what is not important in life and concentrating on what is important and where you can make a difference.
Having so much clarity frees you up to focus on whatever is important at the time and that in itself is life changing. My family understand who I am these days and what I am capable of as nothing is daunting or impossible. My personality is fun loving, but there is an added serious side these days because I do not take fools lightly and there is no time wasting. I say what I am thinking and am probably a bit too direct for most people, but this is coming from a good place and does not mean any harm. I actually wish more people were like this instead of everyone playing a guessing game.