I’m not a sport nut. I love English horseback riding and show jumping, I just haven’t done it in years. The Winter Olympics are most definitely not up my alley – nothing Winter-related is :-) But I find myself inspired.
I’m a struggling writer right now, in a deep, dark hole with nary a plot bunny for comfort. Keeping me frustrated is my perfectionist nature and the idea that everything I produce has to be flawless. Behind that idea lurks the notion that the only achievement worth pursuing is first place.
Then I watch the Olympics and see a large number of athletes who won’t even come within spitting distance of the metal podium. They’re there to post a personal best, to give it their all and shine, because they are good at what they do and they deserve the chance to show the world how good they are. Still, realistically speaking, they don’t stand a chance to win a medal.
It’s okay to know you’re not going to win. But winning isn’t everything; showing up, giving your best and having the time of your life is. And that’s why I’m inspired.
The dedication and perseverance, the sweat and tears and deep, deep credit card debts that a lot of these athletes bring with them should maybe inspire more of us to do well in the world even when there’s no prize to be won.
So, yeah, I’m inspired.
PS. Catching my favorite redhead, Shaun White, on TV is great, too.
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