"I wish I was a microscope so I could focus better..."

Focus. Easier said than done. The common distractions are facebook, Youtube, friends, texting, etc. But sometimes, even work can keep us from maintaining focus. We all have goals, big and small, and we work very hard towards achieving them. In situations of stress and anxiety, we continue to perform, balancing all of our work and commitments. In school, college and life, a surfeit number of opportunities are constantly knocking, and we attempt to answer. While this is excellent, all of our work and smaller goals should be leading up to a large goal (i.e. becoming a successful lawyer, starting our own business, living in the Hamptons) and we cannot allow ourselves to get distracted. In the back our mind, we should maintain absolute concentration on our dreams.

A very unexpected "somebody" showcases the type of focus that all of would do well to emulate. Who is it? See below. They were kind enough to allow me to post their picture.

It's the arctic tern! This unlikely role model has the largest migration pattern out of any bird, taking numerous routes between Greenland and Antarctica. By the end of the year, even more than most people travel on flights, the tern checks in at about 44,000 miles. Even more incredible than the distance is the attention they dedicate to the task. Many excited observers try to attract birds by throwing food out into the water, and they generally face success by urging numerous sea gulls and other birds to the water surface in hopes of a tasty treat. On any normal day, the arctic tern would be right there with the other birds in diving for the snack. However, when they are migrating, nothing in the world can faze them and detract them from their journey. Their journey is their priority and the only thing in the world that matters to them.

Thus, while the arctic tern is not the conventional example for a critical life skill, it fantastically embodies the ability to focus on a larger goal.

P.S. Nevertheless, never forget to stop and smell the roses. Life is not solely the destination, but the journey.