Distraction

​I know I am so easily influenced, and it can be scary.  But it is good to.  Some things I want to be influenced by.  Others I don’t.  Discerning the difference is a key for me. 
There was a song playing that said, “I turn my back, on my main distraction.”  I guess that influenced me because that is where I am at.  Determining what I really want and going for it.  For me there is heaps of stuff that can get in the way.  Not that I grit my teeth and try to deal with it.  I have found the harder I try, often the harder it is.  I am not ashamed to say I need help, and I get it.
It made me think of a lot of causes I agree with.  There are all sorts of things I could get involved in if I wanted.  For me they are right and good.  Domestic violence needs to be opposed at every turn.  Addiction is a huge problem.  Elder abuse is just wrong.
It is not that I do not agree these problems need to be dealt with.  I will add my voice to that of others.  Yet I cannot help but feel those things are the tip of the ice-burg.  To me, human nature is the problem.  Dealing with that, deals with everything wrong that is named and unnamed.
I am happy when a just cause has a win.  So often so much effort is involved.  Inertia can be a real problem.   It is often not the problem that people do not care.  Often it is just they do not care enough to do anything.  Also many times, for me, it is a case of wanting to help but not knowing how to.  Some things are really deep seated.  The last thing a person needs is a glib response.  Often, they have heard it all before, but nothing changes.  Short term assistance is often desirable, but it does not solve long term problems.
I looked up the definition of distraction.   The Oxford Dictionary says, “a thing that prevents someone from concentrating on something else.”  Wikipedia had a huge dissertation on the subject, but one sentence in particular caught my eye.  “Both external and internal distractions contribute to the interference of focus.” 
Interfering with focus is where I come from.  There are both good and bad things that can interfere.  Elder abuse is a problem that needs to be dealt with.  I could join causes that confront that issue head on.  They get a hurrah from me every time they have a win.
But for me I question, is that to be my focus?  If it were, there are many other issues I would neglect - unless of course I would like to try and solve the worlds problems.  In that case I would burn out in a big hurry, and my flame would burn bright for a moment.
That is why I will not get involved in many things I agree with.  To me, they are a part of the problem but not the problem.  They can be a distraction for me.  I am happy with trying to assist in dealing with the root of the problem rather than just the problem.  Sores need to be dealt with.  If not, they often show up in other places, and the last state of a person is worse than the first.
There are many sores, but the solution is the same for all.  Deal with the root cause and the problem can be dealt with.