Lessons from the Olympics
For the past two weeks, my household embraced a nightly ritual of watching the Olympics primetime—our eyes misting at stories of perseverance and our guesses at athletes’ heights wildly off the mark.
One particular Olympics moment gave me unexpected feels. Noah Lyles—100m sprint gold medalist and a favorite for gold in the 200m—instead finished third and was wheeled off the track, gasping for air. After the race, we learned the heart-wrenching truth:
Lyles had been racing the 200m while battling COVID and would be ending his Olympics early, withdrawing from the final team competition.
This moment brought to mind a personal hard earned belief: your bravest act of resilience is letting go of what you cannot change.
Some may marvel at Lyles’ determination to compete in the 200m while fighting COVID, but I marveled at his ability to accept that this was not the year for a gold medal sweep, all while expressing immense pride for his journey.
So many athletes' stories are about pushing forward and through, at all costs and against all odds. But, what about the inspiration we find in their ability to let go?
It takes courage to carve out a new, different path for yourself than the one your heart is so firmly set on. Here’s it giving it our all…and continuing onwards despite the outcome.
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