The dog is watching the cat. The dog is poised to attack the cat, should it come near my chair. At any given moment the dog could leap out of her spot and grab the cat. She would only want to play with her. If she were to get real close to the cat, she would be rewarded with some sharp claws to her nose.
Going after what we want can sometimes feel that way. We would like something to happen but it does not. We would like things to go smoothly, but they do not always go smoothly. You can get a proverbial swat in the face with some sharp claws. You are in hot pursuit of your goals. Sometimes the perpetrator is not on the outside, but on the inside.
Our deepest ambitions can be squashed by our own negative thinking. It is crucial to keep negative thoughts at bay. It is not enough to think positively, there is the paradox. We are afraid to pursue the goal because of the negative tapes that play in our heads, yet the very action we are afraid of can set us free. The pursuit of a worthy goal can free us from the fear that claws at us.