Warren Buffett's airplane pilot once asked for advice on how to be successful.

Buffet, who started out in life with almost nothing, has become one of the 10 richest people in the world. And he told his pilot this: "If you want to be successful begin by writing out a list of 30 things you most want to accomplish in life, with the most important things first."

So the pilot pulled out a piece of paper and made the list. At the top were things like owning his own charter plane business, being a good husband, a good father, and owning a second home. Farther down the list was becoming a good golfer, running a marathon every year, and opening a pizza place.

The pilot then showed his list to Buffet who looked at it for a moment, then said, "Ok, now cross off the bottom 25 items on that list. You must realize that the primary impediment to reaching your most important goals, will come from those things you just crossed off. Get them out of your mind. Don't think about them again. They are not your friends."

Realizing that things we love can have a shadow side is at the heart of this Sunday's Gospel when Jesus gives us some difficult words, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple."

Jesus is trying to tell us how the things we love get in the way of the things we're supposed to do.

There are few things I like to eat more than chocolate cake. Except when I'm on a diet. Then, I hate chocolate cake.

And how true this is with our loved ones!

When did your mom ever urge you to do something dangerous? How often does your family want you to do things that get you ridiculed, slandered, or make you unpopular? Yet accomplishing our goals, realizing our God-given dreams, giving birth to the purposes of our souls often means doing just that.

Jesus is reminding us that the most important thing we do in life, following Him, requires focus, discipline, and commitment - every day.

In what ways do we forget this?

How are we letting other things get in the way?

How is God calling us to cross off the things toward the bottom of our lists, and renew our commitment to the things at the top?