Level Two: Focusing Input

“What we feed our minds determines what we become.”

From Concentration to Control

In Level One, we learned to control our attention — to focus our eyes, ears, mind, and body in the present moment.
    In Level Two, we learn to control what we feed that attention.

Focus isn’t just about what we see or hear; it’s also about what we allow in.
Because what we focus on grows, and what we feed, we fuel.

Every day, whether we realize it or not, our minds are being programmed — by conversations, media, environments, and experiences.
And unless we take responsibility for that programming, the world will do it for us.

The Law of Input: Garbage In, Garbage Out

Computers only produce output based on the data they receive — and the same is true for people.

   If we fill our minds with negativity, gossip, fear, or trivial distraction, that’s what will come out in our thoughts, decisions, and results.
But if we feed our minds with gratitude, wisdom, discipline, and truth, that’s what

we’ll express through our words and actions.

Blackbelt Leaders understand that our outer world is a reflection of our inner world.
If we want to change the results we’re getting in life, we must change what we’re feeding our mind, heart, and spirit.

Three Major Sources of Input

1. The People We Associate With

We become like those we spend the most time with.
Attitudes, energy, and habits are contagious. That’s why it’s so important to choose your associations intentionally.

“Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”

At KMMA, we teach students to find training partners, mentors, and peers who push them to grow.

   The same applies outside the dojo: spend more time with people who are positive, focused, and growth-minded — and less with those who drain your energy or distract you from your goals.

Leadership Principle: If you want to be a leader, surround yourself with leaders.

2. The Information We Consume

Your mind is like a garden — whatever seeds you plant will grow.
The shows you watch, the music you listen to, the podcasts you hear, the books you read — these are all seeds.

Ask yourself daily:

• Does this input make me stronger or weaker?

• Does it feed my faith or my fear?

• Will I be better for having spent time on this?

A Blackbelt Leader curates their information. They read books that inspire, watch content that educates, and listen to voices that challenge them to improve.

Leadership Principle: Don’t let the algorithm decide your destiny.

3. The Environments We Live and Work In

Your environment either supports your Focus or sabotages it.
A clean, organized space brings clarity and calm.
A chaotic, cluttered space brings confusion and distraction.

In the dojo, we teach respect for the training floor. Students bow before stepping on and leave it better than they found it. That same discipline can (and should) extend to our homes, workspaces, and classrooms.

Leadership Principle: Excellence doesn’t happen by accident — it grows where order and respect are present.

Reprogramming Your Input

The beauty of being human is that we can rewrite our programming.
If early experiences, environments, or influences filled you with doubt or fear, you can change the code.

Here’s how:

1. Identify limiting beliefs — notice negative self-talk or old stories that don’t serve you.

2. Interrupt the pattern — replace “I can’t” with “I can learn.”

3. Install new input — repeat affirmations, visualize success, and surround yourself with empowering influences.

Just as you train your muscles through repetition, you reprogram your mind through consistent, deliberate input.

Guarding the Gate

Every day, stand guard at the door of your mind.
You wouldn’t allow a stranger to throw garbage into your home — so don’t allow it in your head.

Before you read, watch, or listen to something, ask:

• Is this helping me grow?

• Does it align with my goals?

• Would I recommend this input to someone I respect?

When you guard your focus, you protect your future.

Blackbelt Challenge: Training Your Input

1. The Input Inventory:
   Track everything you watch, listen to, or read for 24 hours.
   Mark each as Positive, Neutral, or Negative.

2. The Upgrade Rule:
   Replace one negative input this week with a positive one.
   (Example: swap 15 minutes of scrolling for 15 minutes of reading or journaling.)

3. The Association Audit:
   Write down the five people you spend the most time with.
   Who sharpens you? Who drains you? Decide who to spend more or less time with intentionally.

End of Chapter Exercises

Study Questions

1. What does “garbage in, garbage out” mean for your personal focus?

2. What are the three major sources of input, and how do they influence your mindset?

3. What steps can you take to guard your mind from negative input?

Reflection Prompts

1. What’s one input you’ll remove from your life this week — and one positive one you’ll add?

2. How does your current environment affect your focus and mood?

3. Who are the five people most influencing your mindset today — and what are they helping you become?

“Control your input, and you’ll control your outlook.
Control your outlook, and you’ll control your outcome.”

Prepare To Live; Empower To Lead!

Grand Master Stephen J Del Castillo

8th Degree Blackbelt, Author, MBA, Founding Master Instructor, KMMA

TampaKravMaga.com – StephenDelCastillo.com

Author of Developing Your Superpowers

Check out the Meditations On Mastery Blog and Podcast too!

 

p.s. This is an excerpt from the book I am writing now, Focusing Focus. Here are some of the other books I recommend.