Grissom is gone? Say it isn’t so!

Last week was the final episode of CSI that will feature Gil Grissom. For the past 9 years I have watched and devoured every detail of the show but I kept coming back because I love Grissom so much. I can’t imagine the show without him, no matter how great Laurence Fishburne turns out to be as Dr. Langston.

As a tribute to him I’m sharing the following article from my newsletter that Grissom inspired:

FOCUS POCUS
I love CSI. Not the watered down versions transported to other cities around the country; I mean the original Las Vegas one with Gil Grissom at the helm. I loved it before it was cool and the rest of the world started watching and I think it is intelligent television despite the plunging necklines and often-provocative scenarios. It makes me think, it challenges my brain, and Grissom adds a witty thoughtfulness to every episode.

After years of devoted CSI watching, one thing has always puzzled me. I noticed that when they begin to investigate a crime scene they whip out their flashlights. It doesn’t matter if it is midday or 3a.m. They use flashlights to examine every inch of the area, but why?

Recently I went on a frenzied search of my office for a particular book. After climbing bookshelves, pulling out drawers and blaming members of my family for my dilemma I thought of CSI. What would Grissom do? Feeling a little stupid I pulled out a flashlight and started going over all of the same places I had searched before. It took me five minutes and two shelves to find the long lost book.

I call my finding the Focus Pocus Effect. The flashlight helped me focus my full attention on what I was looking at instead of glossing over the details. The same thing occurs when a spotlight focuses our attention on the lead actor in a play.

So what has this got to do with you and your life? I think many of us inadvertently spend most of our life out of focus. Much of what we see and hear is a blur and we lose important details along the way. We lose out because we are so concerned with reliving the past or planning the future instead of attending to the present. Surprisingly, learning to pay attention to the NOW slows us down and makes us more efficient, productive and energetic. It’s called being mindful.

While you could stay focused by carrying a flashlight wherever you go, try these simple tips for living and focusing in the moment:
*Stop finishing sentences for others in conversations
*Stop thinking about last night or tomorrow while your living today.
*Start talking less and listening more.

(And it wouldn’t hurt to carry a small flashlight in your pocket or purse as a reminder!)