Happy Monday!!
I am super grateful for another week and guess what. I’m actually writing this post in real time. Ha! The weekend was so busy and I feel like after the lump of work I have to do today. I should be home free.
Without blabbling on let’s get into today’s post. 🙂
Last night, and pretty much the entire weekend, I used my precious downtime to watch recaps of the major Olympic events I couldn’t watch Live. I was in awe of the athletes (especially those of color) that were “doing-the-dang-thing”. My favorites were Usain Bolt (of course), Simone Biles, Mo Farrah and Michael Phelps (That’s my Bmore homie). Other great notables were Serena Williams (that woman is powerful), Ben Youssef Meite, and the Brazillian woman’s soccer team. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely #TEAMUSA but that does not stop admiration of the others. Not.At.All.
These Athletes sacrifice so much of their time and resources (physical and financial) training all for a moment that only comes once in four years. Granted, they compete in other events but we are focusing on the Olympics. The drive to be stronger, better, faster, smarter (these sports take up a lot of mental energy too), is like none other. I can barely motivate myself to get out of bed in the mornings, not to talk of being in a pool or on the gymnastics mat for upwards of 10hrs a day. I digress…
There is definitely something to be learned from them and I will list them in no particular order.
1. Michael Phelps – Focus on your swim.
Don’t focus on others. I think the biggest controversy around MP this Olympics was his race with Chad Le Clos. There is a viral image taken during the Men’s 200m Butterfly, moments before MP wins the race, where Le Clos is turning his head to see where MP was in the race. In my mind, all I know is that MP was focused on touching that wall. Who knows… Maybe Le Clos could have won if he wasn’t so focused on MP. So focused on his opponent that he finished 4th! Not to throw him under the bus but come on!! Anyway my friends…. Stay Focused. Know your goals and work to achieve them. Don’t be so concerned with what everyone else is doing or saying.
2. Mo Farrah – If you fail (or falter), KEEP GOING.
Mo Farrah was pretty much predicted to win the Men’s 10k Race but guess what happened in the early leg… He Fell. That’s right, he tripped, fell and the other runners just jumped over him and kept running. Ha! Had it been anyone else, they would have stopped running or even if they continued- would’ve been shaken up for the entire race. Not MF!! No sir, Mr. Farrah got up, shook it off and brought home the Gold for Great Britain. He knew he could do it, he believed in himself and even after a mistake(accident) like that, he pushed himself and came out triumphant.
3. Simone Biles – Don’t care about your past
Simone was abandoned as a child but with the love of her adoptive parents, she over came that. She didn’t let it weigh her down and SB brought home not 1 but 3 Gold medals (at the time of this post) for all her efforts. Heck, she even has a move named after her. Far to many times, I see people using their past as an excuse for their future. It’s really sad, especially when their future has so much potential. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy getting over the hurt. It is a lot easier to stay in the funk and curse the world but it is never, ever, worth it. The past is in the past. Make your future (and your week) great.
I have so much more to write on my favorite Olympians but I think I have held up your time long enough.
As you start a new week, Take the above tips and run with it!!!
(Haha..that was a very poor pun but you get the Idea)
Have a great Monday!
– Mikki