Focus and the future: America’s Public Transit Dilemma

After spending a couple of years in Europe, I realized just how limited the public transit network is in the US. Some cities are better than others, but overall we are pretty behind. This is especially true in regards to interstate travel. In recent years, as energy costs have continued to rise, this issue has been pushed to the forefront of American political and environmental debates. So what happened? Why did America spend its time, money and energy building cars and roads while other nations focused on rail, bus and subways? The answer is simply really, it was a matter of choice.

In the post WWII era, America’s focus was clearly based on the belief that cars were the future of transportation. And they (cars) did become the future of transportation, because that's where the focus went. Get it? America believed cars were the answer, so accordingly, we built factories that built cars, started business to repair the cars, and built more roads etc. Our reality is a literal result of our focus, our energy and our actions. Other nations took a different approach. At varying levels, they chose to focus on building railroads, buses, and subway stations.

So here we are today, and after years of focusing on the car, America is struggling to catch up with other transportation infrastructures. Were we wrong to assume cars were the future? That’s a hard question, because we can’t know how everything would have played out, and I don’t think we need to know. But I believe there is an important business and life lesson here: The things we focus on today will become our reality. Accordingly, it is vital that we ask ourselves the following questions:

“Are there things I am focusing on today, that I will regret in the future?” and “What am I failing to focus on now that I will need in the future?”

Those are tough questions, because we can’t see the future, and in order to move forward, we have to make decisions, set goals, and work hard to achieve them--but there is always value in taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture.

Staying Focused on what is most important

It is easy in today's high stress, demanding world to get caught up in day-to-day activities. When we do this, we often lose sight of the big picture. On a deep level, why are we even here--what is the point of our existence? On a less deep level, what makes me the most happy? It is interesting that we often find ourselves devoting much more energy to work, school, or hobbies, than we do our family or other personal relationships. It is intriguing how differently we might treat daily acquaintances compared to how we treat our loved ones. Isn't it interesting that often our acquaintances, business partners, or school mates get treated with courtesy and respect, but when we get home, our attitudes change, and we seem to forget we are now dealing with the people who are the most important.Making ourselves aware of what is most important must be done everyday, and in many instances several times throughout the day. The better we are able to achieve this, the more aligned our priorities become.

Decide what is most important to you, and ask yourself: How much energy do I devote to this aspect of my life? This isnt always easy. In my own life, I often get bogged down with school and work, which leaves less time than I would like for my family. But I have found that when I make a concentrated effort to put more "energy" (and not always more minutes of the day) into my relationship with my wife, son and the spiritual part of my life, everything else tends to fall into place."...happiness then is not an event, but a journey"