The ultimate display of beauty, the pursuit of perfection, perseverance, and dedication is here – the winter Olympics. Regardless of whether you believe they represent a tremendous waste of money, are won by the wealthiest countries who can afford to invest in such expensive sports, or perhaps that some of the events aren’t even sports at all…they have been around for a few thousand years (the first Olympic games were in 776BC, with the modern Olympics starting in 1896) and are a reflection of our ongoing pursuit to recognize those among us who strive and who dream, who come as close to perfection as humanly possible.
Vancouver Winter Olympics Ice Sculpture
This is one of the few areas of our world where something is desired more than money…where a dream exists to obtain something intangible – recognition, respect, and achievement. These men and women in many cases have sacrificed throughout their entire lives at the chance to prove, on a world stage, that there is nobody better, none more commitment, more talented, or more deserving. What have they given up at the chance for performance excellence, perfection, to full their lifelong dreams, and to perform for all of the world to see? Did they give up sleep, friendship, relationships, relaxation, mediocrity, and pettiness to strive for something greater, something grander?
In many cases these athletes have invested their entire lives at the mere chance to fulfill their dreams. Simply minor deviations from perfection are all it takes to remove one of these incredible athletes from their chance at obtaining the gold medal. Figure skating, ice hockey, skiing, curling, luge…you name it – risking their body and in many cases their lives for a chance at greatness. If they blow it, its not as though they can just wait until next year – they have to wait four years to try again, assuming that they aren’t too old to participate next time around. At showtime, there is no room for should have’s and could have’s – this is their one chance to give it everything they’ve got. It can be painful to watch these athletes sacrifice in the name of perfection and excellence as one simple mistake can be the difference between success and failure – dreams shattered in a single breath.
Vancouver Winter Olympics
What is your dream? What is your purpose in life? What sacrifices have you made to fulfill the life you were destined to live? What did you give up to stay true to your path? What did you let go of? What was the cost of the pursuit of your dreams? We cannot all be Olympians, but we can all strive for excellence in our lives. Imagine finding something that you believe in so much that it inspires every moment of your life, every fiber of your being, and every ounce of reality in your life. You owe it to yourself and to your world to discover your purpose in life and to pursue it with every ounce of your being?
Don’t die without following your dreams and fulfilling your purpose in life. Find something you can believe in and give it everything you’ve got.
Sometimes we don’t have the courage or faith to pursue our dreams – and at times we are “encouraged” or in some cases “coerced” by outside circumstance to follow our path and listen to our truth. Here is one inspirational story that is sure to inspire you, in case you missed it in the PARADE section of the paper today – for those of you who still actual “read” the newspaper in its original form 
(Dreams Do Come True)
As an aside, I would like to pay a heartfelt tribute to all of you who have made immense sacrifice in the pursuit of your dreams, in the pursuit of a passion larger than life, almost beyond comprehension. I praise you for staying true to your purpose and passion even when you may have been surrounded by those who doubted your greatness, or even when you may have been tempted to doubt your own magnificence. Here’s to your dreams, your desires, and to everything you life for.
I invite you to share your stories below…I would love to hear about your dreams, and what you have given up to follow them.
Blessings,
.
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