Mind Gym: Fatal Distractions
"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal."
-Jim Lefebvre
"In spite of all the distractions, remain focused on the job."
-Reggie Jackson
This chapter hits home for me as I have seen family members and friends ruin their potential because they wanted the high that drugs gave them for that little bit of time.  We all make bad choices and mistakes.  Whether it be because we have become addicted to these distractions or because life and our goals seem to become too big we just want an excuse to escape for awhile.
Mack emphasizes during this whole chapter how we must avoid the distractions like drugs and alcohol because they will lead us away from our goals. He does an exercise with the younger athletes he talks to.  He pulls a fake, but realistic snake out of a bag and the kids of course jump back.  He tells them they should be like that when drugs are brought to their schools.
Our friends and families have a huge influence on us.  When athlete Richard Dumas went home to visit with friends he got in lots of trouble because of the drugs his "friends" were putting into his life. Fatal distractions don't have to always be drugs and alcohol.  They can be other habits and if you have people that are putting that poison into your life its ok to walk away.  It takes a stronger person to walk away then for someone to just keep abusing themselves with those toxic relationships or habits.
You, your family, and your team will be embarrassed if your make decisions not positively affecting your future.  So instead of embarrassing all involved make everyone, including yourself, proud.  Even though it might be hard now, eventually it will be worth it.