lessons from the olympics

Here are a few things I’ve picked up on watching the Olympics that I think we can apply to our lives:

Perseverance – Some of these athletes have had immense tragedy in their lives, even as late as this week, or have overcome incredible obstacles to get where they are today.  Yet they press on toward their goal.  How easy would it be for them to give up?  None of us would blame them – but they haven’t.

Attitude – I’ve witnessed some great sportsmanship (and some not so great) and positive attitudes, even after a loss or not quite reaching the coveted gold medal spot.  How much do we whine when things don’t go exactly as planned?

Balance – I have enjoyed seeing what else these athletes do in their spare time and that they have a life outside of the sport where they excel.  They aren’t so hyper-focused that they’ve lost sight of family or fun or other things.

You’re never too young (or old) to succeed. From teenagers to 40-ish, they haven’t listened to what the world tells them is their window of opportunity.

Selflessness – Even going head to head with someone from their own country, we’ve witnessed athletes laying down their pride to root for or congratulate their teammate.

Dedication – Many of them have spent their lifetime so far trying to reach this goal.  Why?  Because they’re passionate, driven, and love what they do.

What can we learn from this?  How can we apply it to our lives or our faith?  What are some lessons you have learned?  Go.

Lessons from a Five Year Old

Today was the first day in a while I’ve spent alone with my five year old son.   As a family, we spend most Saturdays together and I’ve spent short periods of time alone with each of my two boys, but rarely have I gotten to spend an entire day with one of them.   As a result, I learned some valuable lessons from him today that I thought I would share here:

1.  Laugh hard at least once a day.  There is nothing like hearing a belly laugh from a child – especially yours.  We had several of these together today.

2.  Learn something new.  I taught him the game Toss Up, which is a fun little dice game.  Even though the box said it was for ages 8 & up, he picked it up quickly (and ALMOST beat me!).  He shows no hesitation in learning – he soaks it up!

3.  Be spontaneous.  Whether it’s a song that pops in your head, a chance to step in a puddle, or just dancing to the music that’s in your head, go for it.  Sure, other people might think you’re strange, but chances are they aren’t having near as much fun as you.

4.  Hug those you love often.  I must have gotten 100 hugs today at least!  Most were unprovoked and BIG bear hugs.  His love language is definitely touch.

5.  Say “I love you” for no reason.  This one kind of goes along with the previous one, but I thought it warranted its own number.   There were a couple of times today he just looked at me and said “I love you, Daddy” for no apparent reason.  He wasn’t trying to butter me up to get something – he was just genuinely letting me know how he felt at the moment.

In case you couldn’t tell, it was a great day.  We have all day tomorrow together, too.  I wonder what we’ll get into.  🙂