©Allen Merritt (2016)
I feel blessed to have had a little time to take in the
summer Olympics over the weekend. The degree of talent is nothing short of spectacular
and amazing. It is a positive twist on how much effort a person has to apply to
themselves and their craft to make it that far into competition; all for
fulfilling a dream. It takes love and passion, perseverance, stamina, as well
as persistence. I felt inspired and reminded of how difficult it is to stay on
top of your game; a lesson we can all take from the games and initiate into
daily living.
Never give up seems to be one message the athletes convey
when they tell their stories. Practice, practice and practice some more even
when you are dealing with daily problems back home. Moreover, it appears it is
more than making time for practice. It’s about learning that it isn’t practice
which truly makes our game perfect, but perfect practice; and, commitment.
We must keep telling ourselves over and over again that we
not only think we can, but we know we can. Fell down this time, but I got up!
How do I make myself better to avoid falling again? How do I progress and make
my situation better? Keep trying, but do so with eyes, ears and heart wide open
with full preparation to keep on keeping on. There are too many people out there willing and ready to knock us down. Therefore, stay focused on the good stuff: YOU!
Is it mind over matter? Or is it mind over matter by working
that matter? Does that even make sense? I think it does. You see, these athletes
are doing everything in their power to stay positive, motivated, driven and
inspired to meet their goals and achieve those dreams. A positive mindset kicks it off. Building
strength in the body over time suggests the body (or matter) is working the
matter. That’s the spin on the story that makes it great. How many times in
years past have such athletes competed on such a global level and under such pressure
to have failed to make medal status, but yet came back four years later better
and stronger than ever? How easy could it have been to give up? Talk about
pushing the envelope…or in this case “matter.”
Another common story is how it has been a lot of hard work,
but also a roller coaster of highs and lows. These athletes have the same
emotions and situations going on in their lives as anyone else. In fact, I
would dare say they have much more to overcome in order to get to this level of
prestige. In the heat of the moment when it is time to hit the mark, they have
to be more than prepared despite what is going on back home. It’s a difficult
task for anyone. Distractions and
concerns have to be put aside long enough to show your stuff. Just like the
cheerleaders use to shout out at the football games, “Push ‘em back! Push ‘em
back, way back!”
With this in mind, I want to salute those that are giving it
their all and then continuing the race. Personally, I feel that struggle in
juggling work, career, care taking and general responsibilities while hanging on
to my dreams, character and integrity in hopes of living out my wildest dreams.
I don’t think it matters how big the dream is, it still is worth the pursuit
and is always possible. Believing in you and working that mind over matter by
working that matter is what matters in the end, isn’t it?
The dream may not materialize today, but when that day
comes, the work will have been worth it and we’ll all be smiling!
As the Olympics illustrate these astonishing lessons, may we
all learn from them and take them with us into the rest of this week and then
beyond that.
Go out there with a positive mindset and then work it!
Have a great week!
Cheers.
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