Look at this girl. She's focused. She almost never misses that ball. Petruska will fly and twist her body into all sorts of contortions -- I swear that girl has wings -- to get that ball. She never takes her eyes off of it. If her brother, a sweet, big baby of a lab mix, is also chasing it, Petruska steps it up. She’s getting there first. It doesn’t matter if she’s all the way across the yard and he’s only four feet from the ball. She’ll scramble and yell -- and he backs off every time.

Once she’s made up her mind, that girl always gets her prize.

She has become my mentor. Without knowing it, Petruska has given me a much needed and very timely lesson on focus and determination. On not giving up even when it seems the ball is unreachable. I worked with an amazing group of people on a month-long challenge recently. Though we each have our own business ventures, whether brand spanking new like mine, or established, we all have goals and aspirations to push further. We all have that “ball” in front of us. And we’re all just a little bit scared -- or a LOT bit scared.

Most Successful People Still Have Doubts

It has been incredibly eye-opening to me to learn that even the most successful among us still have doubts, and still have a lot to learn. That they, too, need encouragement and reminders to keep pushing forward. Each one of them is chasing that metaphorical ball, and sometimes (probably most of the time) it’s our own minds that try to get in the way. What’s great is that I’m now surrounded by an entire group of Petruskas. What’s even better is that we’re all after a different ball, so everyone is cheering each other on to stay focused, scramble, and even contort ourselves occasionally, because we are all going to catch it. Sometimes -- many times -- we even get an assist from fellow group members. One of us mentions that we just can’t figure out how to get past this one obstacle, and another chimes in saying, “Oh, I’ve tackled that already. Here’s how you do it.” Perhaps this is one of the many reasons I have come to love and value this group of people so much.

To me, they’re just like dogs -- which is the ultimate compliment.

What I mean is, they possess all of the qualities I most appreciate in my canine companions. When they see what they want, they are laser focused -- like a dog with a ball, or one that's chasing a squirrel or eyeing that piece of pizza on the counter. Yet they also are the most accepting group I’ve ever been a part of. If I need help, they offer it or show me where to find it. Does one of us need encouragement, or just an ‘Atta girl or boy? They are the first to freely hand those out. It’s like coming home to my boy Jackson and seeing his wagging tail and smile.

Which brings me back to Miss Petruska. Because of her, I appreciate this group even more. Because of her, I see what determination and laser focus can accomplish.