The Writing and Photography Blog of Kevin J Sabo

Inspiration can be found in any number of places.

Today I was introduced to the concept of the 3 ft. world, courtesy of all places, the television show SEAL Team.

Two of the team members were talking, and staying in your 3 ft. world was mentioned in passing, so I decided to do a deep dive into what they were talking about.

The 3 ft. world goes back to climbing and, obviously, the SEALs. A SEAL had a fear of heights, and became paralyzed at the top of a cliff he was climbing up during training when he looked down. The climbing instructor told the SEAL to stay in his 3 ft. world, meaning, focus on your immediate surroundings, looking for the next hand hold.

This metaphor can be carried over to other parts of life as well. Actually, it’s a metaphor I’ve been using without even realizing.

There are things that matter in life, and things that we can control. where we need to focus is where the two spheres of influence overlap, our 3 ft. world.

We can control that which is immediately around us. We can’t control others, but we can control ourselves. We can control our diets, we can control our exercise, and to a certain extent we can control our health, but let’s face it. Shit happens that we can’t control.

I do have a mental illness, and I can’t change that. Just like I could get cancer, or have a heart attack. Hell, with the frigid weather we are facing at the moment, I could slip on the ice and break my leg. All of these things matter, but they are not things I can control. What can I control? Where my mental illness is concerned, I can control my reactions. I can control my health and diet, and reduce the chances of any of the above happening.

This is something I needed to be reminded of. When I’m feeling overloaded or overwhelmed, I need to focus on what I can control, and forget the rest. I need to focus on my sphere of influence. I need to focus on my 3 ft. world.

Kevin