Olympics reminds us about passion and legacy

Passions create legacy

As I watch the 2010 Olympics, I find my jaw drops at how amazing these athletes are in their craft.  I was doing my usual surfing and found a blog that was somewhat critical about the sacrifices it takes to become the best and whether it is worth sacrificing friends and family to pursue the Olympic dream.  They asked some questions which I thought I would share my answers.

How much time and training goes into becoming the best?

I guess that’s where passion has to come into play.  How can you spend that much time if you don’t love what you do?  How many people are spending a lot of time doing things they don’t love to do?  I think there is a lesson here work may not appear to be work it you are doing what you love.

Our world today is big on balance. Seeking balance also has it’s own set of sacrifices. Sometimes I think ‘balance’ is a cope out for laziness.  This may be a little extreme but we need to encourage hard work, especially when our society has developed a sense of entitlement.

There’s an old saying “Work Smarter, not harder” which was born from the time management industry.  I think there may be a place for this saying but I believe that the more appropriate saying should be “Work Smarter AND harder.”  I’ve had the pleasure of meeting successful people and they will all tell you that their success came from hard work.  I believe you get out what you put in and these athletes should be proud of their sacrifices.

Is there really such thing as the best?

When I watch the downhill skiers, snow borders or speed skaters, and look at the difference between 1st and 6th, the difference is a fraction of effort but it is the difference between a medal and no medal at all. 

When you look at 20 competitors, these people are the ‘Best’ in their field but only 1 can the best at the moment.  Some feel bad for the person that comes in fourth or just misses the gold by a fraction.  I think the person that comes in fourth needs to relish in his or her accomplishment even though they did not get a medal.  I am about competition but I think there is something about the journey.  Just getting to the Olympics is a feat in itself.

Is training for the Olympics too much of a sacrifice?

I think it is a ridiculous question.  These people make choices and this choice is to create a memory or experience that will last a lifetime. 

When I look at these Olympians, my jaw drops in awe at the commitment and work ethic it takes to get there. I think we should celebrate their accomplishments and encourage people to follow their passions in life. If you love what you do, it is easy to spend time working hard at it. In fact, it may not feel like work when it is their passion.

The way I look at it, is these athletes have started the process of writing their own legacy. Being a strong advocate of creating, diarizing and sharing personal life legacies (www.MyLegacyOrganizer.com), I can’t think of a better way to spend your time.  Add in the lessons of hard work, dedication, and motivation and I think you have a sure fire formula for future success.

A parent’s perspective

If my kids ever decided to compete at a really high level I am going to encourage them and help them follow their passions and create their life legacy.  I want my kids to know that I support following their passions.

If my kids have the drive, passion, talent or ability to become great at anything, I will encourage them and be supportive in their endeavors. How proud would I be if my son’s competed in a future Olympics even if they came in fourth? That journey and experience is invaluable and is a life lesson that can be applied to all facets of life and I believe the experience will make him a better person.

If we relate this back to money (because that’s what I do for a living) . . . In my own life, I made big time sacrifices early and worked really hard to create the business. I saved money and made some fantastic financial choices (thanks to my profession). It is those sacrifices that give me choices and my current ability to work part time as a parent of four boys and afford a good lifestyle. I think encouraging people to work harder and become better is a good thing. I think we need to encourage people to find their passions in life. As a parent, these are things I want to encourage my four boys strive for. I want my boys to always try their best as opposed to have to be the best.