As I said in a recent post, I’ve really been enjoying the Olympic Games. My youngest daughter and I have actually missed very little. My husband, who is generally in another room getting his whole baseball thing on, does show up for the swimming, but that’s about it. When the gymnasts start tumbling, he heads back to the diamond.
Good Will Hunting
A few things have struck me during the Summer Games. There are so many lessons to be taken away from these athletes as well as from the Games, themselves. On a large, grand scale - how amazing would it be if the “one world” philosophy generated during the Games stuck. Unfortunately, it’s a lot like Chirstmas. The good will and warmth sort of fade away in time. While it lasts, though, it’s really special to see athletes from other countries high-fiving one another. I was especially touched when, following a heartbreaking missed opportunity, the US Ladies Gymnastics team had to “settle” for Silver. When it was apparent that Gold was out of reach, Shawn Johnson sat smiling during the Chinese gymnasts breathtaking routines. She seemed to just, genuinely, be in love with the moment. She wasn’t bitter toward the Chinese girls -she seemed to be enjoying their performances. That just may be my favorite moment of these games so far and will be an image I’ll always remember.
As a side note, even though beautiful little Alicia Sacramone had a few untimely errors - let’s be honest, the Chinese girls were so alarmingly “on” during the floor exercises, we wouldn’t have beaten them anyway! No one could have touched them with the night they were having. We “lost” by more points than Alicia cost and I just hope that one bad night won’t ruin the entire experience for this talented young gril.
Glory Road
We can all learn a thing or two from these remarkable athletes. Each one is a lesson in perseverance, determination, and ambition. The Olympic athlete sets his or her eyes on a goal and trains for it as though their life depeds on it. The only way to be the best in the world is to work harder than the rest of the world.
Granted, most of us (in our daily conquests) aren’t up against the world. We’re up against ourselves more than anyone else. Unfortunatley that’s the most potent opponent of all. Who else knows our strengths and weaknesses better?!
Yet if we worked toward our goal with the single-minded determination of an Olympic athlete - as though our life depended upon success - we’d rock our own world. If we looked at our dreams the way Michael Phelps looks at the opposite end of the pool…as though nothing will get between where we are and where we’re going… I think we’d cause as big a stir as Mr. Phelps.
No matter what our teachers may have told us, we actually have to get more D’s: Dreams, Discipline, Determination, Drive, Desire, and Dedication.
Lord of the Rings
Finally, while we all have our minds on GOLD, SILVER or BRONZE during the Olympics - if you think about it, there are no losers. If an athlete has worked hard, trained long hours, and made necessary sacrifices to make their dream a reality - he or she has already won and won big! 
The same can be said of us. Look back in time - oh, I don’t know, let’s say 4 years ago? I’m sure you can find areas of your life where you’ve improved and made great strides forward. Think about what you did to bring it all about. You worked hard, stayed focused, and pushed your boundaries back a little bit more each day, right? You go, you!
Now think of areas you’d like to have similar success in. Maybe you have gotten yourself in good physical shape and now you’d like to work more on the shape of your finances. Or, vice-versa. Me? I’m too physically fit for my own good and have way too much money. (I just slapped you silly with sarcasm.) Look at the path(s) you took to achieve success in one area and apply them to the other.
Just think about it, this time 4 years from now, when we’re talking about Michael Phelps again, you could be in the best physical shape of your life. Your business or career could be thriving. You could have thousands of dollars in the bank - just sitting there, waiting for you to wax amazing with it. Your relationships could all be close and as strong as a gymnast’s arms. Your mental fitness could be better than ever, etc.
Last but far from least, four years from now, will you be able to say that you made the world a better place - for at least one other person? What good would you have accomplished? Will you have made a difference or left your mark on the world in any way? Starting today, broaden your horizon - it’s the only way to open your world.
You can make your dreams come true if you work toward them the way an athlete workd toward theirs: As though their life depends upon success.
“I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.” - Michael Phelps
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