The Raw Chef Blog

I’ve come to realise the power of focus and sticking with a job until it’s finished.  In the past it’s been a real weakness of mine to start something more appealing when there’s still work to be done on a current project.  This past week, with my house move looming, i’ve consciously been resisting that temptation in an effort to improve my productivity and get everything done.  Isn’t it amazing that when you notice how often you do things, it’s really surprising how much you do them?  I would catch myself every couple of minutes thinking, "i’ll just check my email" or, "i really need to phone…".

Being into all things natural I like to look to nature for clues, especially animals.  It was no surprise to me when, on Friday, I was emailed this wonderful story from Bob Perks.

He’s focused.  I mean really focused.  His eye is on the ball and nothing with distract him.

My dog, Ricky is a master motivator for me.  He loves playing ball.  You can throw it a hundred times and a hundred times he’ll go get it.

Every evening before we go to bed Ricky will run up the stairs ahead, turn around and place the ball on the top step.

"Push it!" I shout and with his right foot, Ricky pushes the ball down the steps.  I catch it and throw it back up to him.  Nine times out of ten he’ll catch it.  Nine times out of ten i’ll miss it.  He then repeats the whole thing usually until I am too tired to continue. I will then toss it high enough to get it past him.

He will do the same thing if you are just sitting in a chair.  Ricky will get just far enough away so that you can’t reach for the ball.  He picks it up, places it in front of him and pushes it to you.

But here’s what motivates me.  He never stops looking at the ball.  I can call his name, make noises, try desperately to distract him and he will not take his eyes off the ball.

I zig-zag my foot pretending to kick it one direction and then follow up by kicking it another.  I rarely get it past him.

If he misses it, he barks at it as he chases after it.  Like it was the ball’s fault.

His whole purpose, all that he wants, all that he enjoys is in that ball, so nothing will cause him to be distracted.  He inspires me.  His dedication, his focus, his determination and will to keep on playing screams volumes to me.

"Why can’t I be that focused?" I ask myself.

"Why can’t I be that determined?" I follow.

Oh, you might be quick to point out that being too focused is not good.  One needs distraction to ease the mind.

He’s a dog.  He sleeps, eats and plays.

I’m a human.  I sleep, eat and work.  Oh, yes, I eat more than he does.  I play, but alot less than he does and not for long periods of time anymore.

I’m getting to be an old dog.

Still, Ricky does have his times when I roll a ball across the floor in front of him and he watches it pass by.  He doesn’t move a muscle.  That old pup is too pooped sometimes, too.

But he chooses to be.

He is sleeping in the other room right now.  If I went in there with a ball he would jump up and without thinking, chase after it.  He doesn’t have to stretch first, moan a bit and get his shoes on.  He doesn’t have to get his glasses so he can see the ball.  He doesn’t start by saying, "okay, give me a minute to wake up."

Afterwards he won’t complain about all the running and jumping.  He won’t go to the medicine cabinet and look for some pain relievers.

And at the end of the day, he won’t say, "boy, i’m going to regret that in the morning".

Not Ricky.  He inspires me.  He’s on the ball.

Bob Perks is a speaker and author.  More of his stories can be found here.

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