Olympics

I'm obsessed with the Olympics!  Really, obsessed is definitely the best word to describe it.  I love everything about the concept of the Olympics!  (Actually, as I was sitting here starting to type this blog post, my sister just sent me a text with questions about the Olympics and it's kind of pathetic, but I was able to answer without hesitation.  LOL.)  As you are probably aware, I love sports so that makes the Olympic appeal natural, but it is so much bigger than that.  Normally in sports the focus is on beating your opponent and winning and while each of the Olympians certainly wants to win they are representing more than just their individual goals.  As Olympians, each athlete is a part of something bigger than his/ her self.  There is such unity in the Olympics - we are all united together and cheering on the United States of America.

As I have been sitting here watching the opening ceremonies I had a moment where I thought, 'this is fine, but I actually like the sport competitions of the games more than this ceremonial aspect', but then I started thinking about how incredible this experience must be for all of these athletes who are currently marching into the stadium.  Most of these athletes will not win medals, but they are proudly representing their countries, their communities, and their homes with pride and celebration.  As a result, I'd imagine that this moment as they march into the opening ceremonies of the Olympics is going to be one of their most memorable Olympic moments.

It amazes me to think of all the time, energy, effort, hard work, perseverance, drive, and passion that each athlete must demonstrate to even qualify for the Olympics.  These athletes have excelled and have pushed themselves often solely focused on reaching this one goal.  I feel like there are so many lessons we can learn from these athletes.  Each of you has such remarkable potential within yourself to achieve any goal that you desire.  While you may not (or may) be a future Olympian, you will face moments in your life where you are looking forward to a goal and will have a choice of how to respond.  I hope you will find the strength and courage within yourself to believe in your dreams and to chase them with unwavering focus.

There will be inspiring stories of triumph, heart-breaking stories of defeat, and many incredibly exciting moments to watch over the next 16 days.  If you are also excited to watch the Olympics, I will be anxious to hear your thoughts and favorite moments from the games.  And, in case you haven't been able to guess, for the next couple of weeks, I will be glued to my TV to watch the Olympics and cheer on the Red, White and Blue whenever possible.  And yes, as they announced the United States of America to enter the stadium, it brought tears to my eyes and chills that still haven't gone away!  :-)  GO USA!