# How do distinguish between Obtaining and Doing?

**URL:** <https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/how-do-distinguish-between-obtaining-and-doing/1013>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [May 17, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/how-do-distinguish-between-obtaining-and-doing/1013 "2017-05-17T14:36:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fly2spring](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/fly2spring/32/368_2.png) [@fly2spring](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/fly2spring)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/how-do-distinguish-between-obtaining-and-doing/1013/1 "2017-05-17T14:36:18Z")

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I’m a little confused. The most common theme in the story is LOOK FOR, looking for treasure, looking for the way home, looking for lost friendship, looking for confidence, etc., then, should this LOOK FOR be Obtaining or Doing? How to distinguish between the two?

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**Author:** ![actingpower](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/actingpower/32/2201_2.png) [@actingpower](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/actingpower)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/how-do-distinguish-between-obtaining-and-doing/1013/2 "2017-05-17T15:53:24Z")

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Have you ever heard the saying, “Life is about the journey, not the destination?” That encapsulates what I see as the difference between Doing and Obtaining. Doing is about the journey, and Obtaining is about the destination. In an Obtaining story, the problem might be, “You’ll never reach success while your emotions control you,” whereas in a Doing story, it might be, “You’ll never be good at this until you stop focusing on the result and start focusing on the process.” Consider this also: in a Doing story, the Relationship Throughline will be about Being–the roles we play in the world. In an Obtaining story, the Relationship Throughline will be about Becoming–our fundamental nature changing to something new.

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**Author:** ![Prish](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/prish/32/33_2.png) [@Prish](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/Prish)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/how-do-distinguish-between-obtaining-and-doing/1013/3 "2017-05-17T16:19:49Z")

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I went to a weekend workshop, once. Chris said the most common story form used was obtaining, so that’s my guess.

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**Author:** ![chuntley](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/chuntley/32/83_2.png) [@chuntley](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/chuntley)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/how-do-distinguish-between-obtaining-and-doing/1013/4 "2017-05-17T16:39:17Z")

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Doing is an activity that focuses on the process.

Obtaining is an activity that focuses on the results.

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**Author:** ![fly2spring](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex010/user_avatar/discuss.dramatica.com/fly2spring/32/368_2.png) [@fly2spring](https://discuss.dramatica.com/u/fly2spring)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 1:52am UTC](https://discuss.dramatica.com/t/how-do-distinguish-between-obtaining-and-doing/1013/5 "2017-05-18T01:52:00Z")

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Thanks a lot. @actingpower @Prish @chuntley