Every four years, the world celebrates the Summer Olympics. An exciting time for some people because it allows them to showcase their abilities, skills, and talents to the world. It also serves as a way for governments, individuals, and businesses across the globe to generate and increase revenues. It puts many countries, cities, towns, products, and people on the world map.
you are your own competition. Show up at your best always!
The last Olympics in 2016 was held in Brazil. it was exciting and competitive. Unfortunately, this year’s was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the highlights of the last Olympics for me was that the organizers allowed refugees-those who have been displaced from their country because of war or other devastations-to participate and compete. I watched some of the competitions and saw the mindblowing things people did with their bodies. Sometimes I was amazed at how people have trained their bodies and minds to perform at such highly competitive levels to do what appears to be humanly impossible. They made difficult tasks appeared so simple and easy.
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”
-Alan Lakein
As I watched some of the games: soccer, swimming, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and rowing among others, some thoughts came into my mind that I want to share them with you. I hope you will enjoy reading them.
Life requires planning: Just as these athletes made plans, so it is important for you to make plans for your life. I am sure you have heard the saying that if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. Unfortunately, so many people are unwittingly planning to fail because they don’t have any plans at all.
Do you have any plans in place for your life? Time management author Alan Lakein once remarked that “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”
no matter how good you think you are, you still must show up at the arena where the event will take place and compete according to the rule of the game.
You need to begin now to think about the kind of future you want so that you can make adequate preparations for it. Without planning, you will very likely end up in a state of confusion. You don’t want to just drift around in life, you want to be strategic with the way you lead your life.
Please start today to begin to make some plans for your future. You cannot and should not leave your life to chance.
Every competition required preparation: one thing that I have noticed is that these athletes have prepared for what they are doing. They not only planned, but they also prepared with a capital “P”. They did not just show up for the competition but they spent many unending hours, week in and week out, over many years, to prepare themselves for that very moment. Preparation time is not easy and not fun. It is tough and hard, yet is the only pathway to glory. You prepared for years what you want to do in minutes. Talent is not a substitute for preparation. Even though you have the relevant skills and talents you still have to put them to work. Preparation helps you to finetune your skills, build stamina, shapes your attitude and helps you to get better at whatever you are doing. Preparation requires the will to do, time, effort, commitment, sacrifice, and tenacity.
You cannot and should not leave your life to chance.
I wonder if you too are diligently preparing for the future you want. What are you doing right now to prepare to fulfill your dreams and aspirations?
Every competitor had a coach: no athlete arrived at the Olympics without a coach. The higher you want to reach and to perform in life, the more you must consider who will help you get there. There are things you can do on your own; there are things you need the assistance of other people to attain. Do you have a coach or mentor to help you reach the next level in your life? You must also learn the power of submission. You must submit to the wisdom of your coach and follow their instruction diligently.
Every competitor showed up: no matter how good you think you are, you still must show up at the arena where the event will take place and compete according to the rule of the game. That’s what every single one of these athletes did: they showed up. Had they not, they would have been disqualified. Do you show up when and where it matters? Please understand that when it comes to the race of life, you are competing against yourself and you must show up whether you feel like it or even like it or not. You are your own competition. Show up at your best always!
Some people win by a mile while some people win by a nose.
Every competitor followed the rules: Those who thought otherwise were disqualified. Every game has rules. Apart from competing fairly, many of these rules don’t overlap. You must know the rules of your game and follow it to the latter. There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going in life. If you want to win in life, you have to play to the rules.
If you want to win in life, you have to play to the rules.
You need to be both book and street smart to understand the rules so that you can play it accordingly.
Just like every game has rules, life also has its own rules. There are spoken rules and there are unspoken ones. You need to be both book and street smart to understand the rules so that you can play it accordingly. There are laws that govern the earth. There are laws that govern success. The rule is no respecter of persons. If you want to succeed in life, go out and find the rules that support what you want to do and apply them diligently.
There is always going to be one winner: Sometimes life is not fair. Sometimes it is not how you’ve prepared but the person who has a slight edge that will win the medal. Some people win by a mile while some people win by a nose. They just had a slight advantage. Paul the Apostle encourages us to run to win. In other words, no matter what you do, what competition you are engaged in, always do your best to be the best. Live in such a way that if there is going to be a winner in the race of life that you’re running you are the one. Compete to break your own record and don’t pay too much attention to what the other person is doing.
No matter what you do, what competition you are engaged in, always do your best to be the best.
Don’t be distracted: Life requires our full attention and total focus. If you are going to make it in life, you must be able to keep your focus. Do not allow anything to distract you. Let whatever you are doing be the most important thing in your life and in your pursuit.