There is an ancient story said to be about the life of a young Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama. The legend says that the young prince was a master at archery, and whenever a contest was held, Prince Siddhartha would always win first place. The medals the young prince received for winning the many competitions covered one of the palace walls.

After losing yet again to the prince, a frustrated competitor threw his bow to the ground and demanded to know the secret to the prince’s uncanny ability to win every time.

The prince turned, offered a smile of compassion, and answered softly, “I aim for the target.”

“I also aim for the target!” spat the man rudely.

“No,” said the prince. “You aim for the medals, and as a result, you miss the target. I aim for the target, and as a result, I win the medals.”

Prince Siddhartha would later be known to us better as the Buddha.

Focus on your purpose, and you will enjoy—and quite possibly increase—the rewards you receive. If you focus only on the rewards, they will never be enough.

Be sure to stop and enjoy the journey it took you and your four-legged teammate to get to OKC.