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We can overcome the daily distractions in our lives by focusing our efforts on long-term goals and righteous endeavors.
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The last time I was on this floor in the Marriott Center was in 1980. I had been selected to represent the state of Utah in a national high school basketball tournament hosted by BYU. This was a fabulous opportunity for me to play against some of the best high school competition in the country. And it was a gathering place for college scouts to come watch high school seniors play against each other.
I was excited to play, but I was also quite nervous going up against such significant competition. Our team actually did quite well. I clearly remember a pivotal game in the tournament. We were playing a team from Los Angeles named the Los Angeles Watts Magicians. Just their team name was intimidating. They were skilled offensively, and they were very intense defensively. Their defensive pressure was like nothing I had ever played against.
The player guarding me would position himself so we were face-to-face-seriously, just inches apart. He also loved to trash talk. The pressure began to get to me as I struggled to shake my opponent enough to even touch the ball. A scramble for a loose ball resulted in a jump ball. Following the call, our coach immediately called a time-out. We gathered in a huddle around our coach to receive his direction. Following the time-out, we returned to the court and lined up around the circle at the foul line for the jump ball. My teammate tipped the ball to me. I immediately made a spin move and rose for a wide-open jump shot. As I released my shot, I heard gasps and laughter coming from the crowd . . .
I had shot at the wrong basket.
I have thought about that embarrassing moment many times. What happened? Why did I shoot at the wrong basket? It happened because I lost focus during the time-out called by my coach, and I also became so intimidated by the defensive pressure of my opponent and his trash talking that I lost focus on more important things in the game, such as which basket was mine.
This experience has become an important lesson for me. I have learned that I must be careful and not allow myself to become distracted or to lose focus on things that matter most. If we are not careful, we can easily get distracted and divert our energies to less important things. One of Satan’s favorite tactics is to distract us with seemingly good things that keep us from the best things.
A Distraction Doesn’t Have to Be Evil to Be Effective
Distractions and loss of focus can occur for various reasons. Nephi desired to learn the interpretation of the vision of the tree of life shared by his father, Lehi. As Nephi shared the interpretation with his family, he was asked a question: “What meaneth the river of water which our father saw?”1
Nephi responded, “The water which my father saw was filthiness; and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water.”2 Likewise, our minds can get so “swallowed up in other things” that we may miss important details.
The adversary attempts to distract us away from Christ and His covenant path. Elder Ronald A. Rasband taught, “The adversary’s design is to distract us from spiritual witnesses, while the Lord’s desire is to enlighten and engage us in His work.”3
The Lord gives the following counsel in Doctrine and Covenants 30:2: “Your mind has been on the things of the earth more than on the things of me, your Maker, and the ministry whereunto you have been called.”
Discouragement often leads to distraction, or a lack of focus. Various distractions may lead to a lack of diligence. In our day, there are many distractions, including Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and busy school and work schedules. Distractions can often be good things. The reality is that a distraction doesn’t have to be evil to be effective.
I ask that you consider this question: What are the things that distract you from staying focused on those things that are most important?
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