Is it just me, or do you, too, know people who have worked hard only to give up right before dawn?
I doubt I am the only one; perhaps, I have been the one...the one who runs the race - the good race - who stopped just short of the finish line.
With the 2014 Winter Olympics well underway, I am, as always, amazed at the talent of competing athletes, some quite young, as they follow their dreams and their commitments to completion in this Olympiad. For some, it may be a last chance to medal.
For others, still shy of their twentieth birthday, their lives have been a continuum of coaching, hard work, countless sacrifices with early mornings and late nights - all in pursuit of the goal that takes precedence over everything; including what, by all normal definition, would be a normal childhood.
Regardless of who wears the Gold, Silver or Bronze two weeks from now, each of these athletes in truly a world-class champion and a world-class example of what it means to make a commitment, to live with passion and to never give up. Indeed, champions, all!
So, just what is it that makes a champion a champion?
Determination? Genetics? Being stubborn?
Yes, I believe all of these contribute to that which separates mediocrity from greatness. But,I think there is more.
Whether an athlete, a student, a business-person, a parent or one who aspires to be one of these, what creates greatness is the refusal to see temporary lack of success as failure. They are not one in the same, at all.
It is only when you give-up that you define yourself as one who accepts incomplete success as failure. It is when you stop trying and surrender and give up the possibility of succeeding that you may just qualify yourself as not yet ready to succeed.
The great news is that, for most of us, it is never too late to try, try again. While athletes sometimes have an expiration date for competition, in most cases, we can resume our journey. OR, we can talk about it in the rear-view mirror and spend the rest of our lives talking about the "ifs" and the "buts", blaming time and circumstances for your deficiency.
I had an uncle; he had a wonderful sense of humor and was a great story-teller. We loved his visits.
As the hours passed, he grew a bit sad. He talked about the "old-days" and how they disappointed him, how he was held back and why luck was never on his side.
As we grew older, we began to get it. We understood that he didn't take accountability for the outcomes in his life. To his credit, he continued to look beyond the next horizon; in his own mind, he just never arrived; he never crossed the finish line; he stopped short of it.
Life is tough these days; you don't always win the gold medal - but you can keeping trying. Decide what it is you really want and ask yourself what you are willing to do to get it. If you really want to start your own business, i.e., ask yourself if you are willing to put in the long hours, make the investment of time, talent and treasure to make it happen?
Separate what you dream about from what you long to do.
Like those competing in Sochi, Russia, are you willing to make it to the finish line- which might not always guarantee success, by the way, but it will guarantee you did your best, that you ran the race and that you own the outcome. That, my friend, is another way to spell 'champ'.
So, IS it just me, or do you, too, know the race you want to run, are you keeping your eye on the finish line and are you willing to keep trying?
Get ready, get set; GO!
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