You would have to be living in a cave this summer to not know that the Summer Olympics are in London and Michael Phelps, with 22 medals, has the honor of being the most decorated Olympian of all time. I sort of do live in a cave with no television; however, somehow the inspirational news from London sneaks in through Facebook, newspaper headlines, and the television in the locker room at the gym.
I am proud of the Olympians like Gabby Douglas taking home gold for gymnastics all-around and Serena Williams beating Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 for the singles gold. The very next day, she and her older sister, Venus, took gold in the doubles. Wow!
I find all of it very inspiring, including the stories of the under-dogs like Oscar Pistorius. If you are in that cave, he is also known as the blade runner and was competing in the track and field 400 meters. Oscar is a double amputee from birth. Thanks to amazing strides (no pun intended) in prostheses technology, he has never had to consider himself different from any other Olympian. Although there is a great debate on whether he should have been allowed to compete, he did it – running against the fastest runners in our world.
What do all of these Olympians have in common?
Unrelenting FOCUS to become the best in their sport.
Every day, they awake DRIVEN to achieve their goals.
They TRAIN (read practice) at their sport every day, for many hours.
This is their life. They do not waiver, they do not let their critics tear them down, and they constantly envision the goal – Olympic Gold (a title that few achieve).
Not only do they have to constantly beat their own records, they have to beat world records in order to be the best. And there are plenty of competitors chomping at the bit, so they cannot give in, even a fraction a second.
It is not by accident that they are standing on the top spot of the podium. They all have teams, family, friends, and raving fans, lifting them up and cheering them on.
I am sure that doubt creeps in (it is part of human nature); however, when they are competing they must push all of that aside and WIN GOLD.
The unwavering discipline is really what separates the Olympians from the rest of us. They are here to encourage us to achieve GOLD in our own lives. And, it doesn’t have to be in the track and field 400 meters.
What goals have you set for yourself in your professional and personal life? Do you train (practice) every day to achieve those goals, with unwavering focus? Are you going to win GOLD in your life? How will this moment feel?
© 2012 Heather C. Morrow. All rights reserved
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Heather C. Morrow, owner of Pottery Daily, helps emerging artists express their true value and get paid what they are worth. Her products and services show you how to make more money, save more time while enjoying the freedom in your art. For your FREE audio go to www.marketandsellyourart.com.