You've been planning for the perfect vacation for six months, and now 
the day is finally here. The tickets are in your pocket, your bags are
packed, and you're driving to the airport. On the way, you pass a favorite
restaurant and think about how much you like their food. You turn the 
car around, go back to the restaurant, walk in, sit down and enjoy a 
delicious meal. The only trouble is, by the time you finish eating you've 
missed your flight and you don't get to take that vacation of a lifetime. 

Would this ever happen? Of course not. When you're on your way to something 
you've been working for, planning, and anxiously awaiting, you'd never let 
a petty distraction throw you off track. Or would you? 

Unfortunately, it happens every day. Too often, we let the distractions of 
the moment deny us our most treasured goals. The next time you're tempted 
by a distraction, keep in mind where you're already headed and how very 
much you desire to get there. 

Ask yourself if you would prefer to have the distraction or the goal you've 
set for yourself. Rather than hopping from one empty distraction to another,
focus your effort and attention toward those things which will bring true 
and lasting fulfillment.

By Ralph Marston