Are You Focused on the Obstacles?

Recently, I heard a personal story that had a profound effect on me.  It was
told by Terri Maxwell, Chief Marketing Officer of a major network marketing
company.
 
Terri was a varsity basketball player in high school, a starting point guard on
her team. (A point guard is the player who dribbles the ball down the court
across the center line, and passes it to a teammate.)
 
During the first half of a championship game, she and her team were on fire.
Playing with total confidence and grace, she zipped easily past the opposing
defender at the center line to set up one successful play after another.  At
halftime, her team was ahead by ten points.
 
The second half was a different story. Suddenly, instead of one defender at
the line, she faced two. She got boxed into a corner time after time, lost the
ball and saw the other team score. Ultimately, her team lost, and as you can
imagine, Terri was boiling mad.
 
The next day, while recounting the game to her grandfather, he asked her
something that would totally change her outlook on life. "Honey," he said,
"what were you focused on during the first half?"
 
"Scoring points," she replied.
 
"And what about the second half? What were you focusing on then?"
 
"Getting past those [bleeping] defenders!"
 
"That's your problem," he said. "You get what you focus on. In the first half
you focused on your goal of making baskets and you made baskets. In the
second half you focused on your obstacles and that's what you got more of."
 
Suddenly, Terri realized that she could have simply dribbled the ball with her
left hand instead of her right and gone right around the defenders. But
because she was so focused on getting through them, she forgot all about
this option.
 
Terri went on to give several examples of how this advice from her very wise
grandfather shaped her future decisions and actions.
 
In the meantime, I was sitting there with my jaw in my lap, stunned by this
revelation. Maybe everyone else has already heard this a million times before,
but for me it was brand new.
 
Focus on your goals, not on your obstacles. What meaning did this have for
me as a network marketer?
 
Well, I certainly haven't lacked for obstacles in my career - I suspect you're in
the same boat. Some days, obstacles seem to be the whole name of the
game. The primo prospect who says no. The marketing campaign that falls
flat. The downline leader who quits. A random snide remark from a friend or
relative that seems to suck out every bit of self-confidence from you.
 
But after hearing Terri's story, I suddenly saw all those negative events as
just a series of hills and valleys. And what do you do when you encounter hills
and valleys in real life? 
 
Do you stop and moan about how unfair it is that the Creator didn't make
the world perfectly flat and smooth? Do you take a different route that takes
you 20 miles out of your way just to avoid them? Do you decide it's probably
not a good day for a hike so maybe it's best to just go home?
 
Of course not! You keep right on going because you're focused on your goal.
You know where you're going. You see the bigger picture.  And furthermore,
as a wise network marketer, you KNOW that the hills and valleys in front of
you are unavoidable.
 
Along the way, there are moments of exhilaration when you reach the tops
of the hills and see the beautiful vistas spread out before you. But then there
are the valleys full of swamps and rivers.  And climbing back to the top takes
a lot of work.
 
But no matter what, you keep on trucking because YOU HAVE A GOAL!  You
can see it shining in the distance, and that's where your focus lies.
 
Is it the same way with business? I think it is.
 
What are your thoughts?