Late July and early August are a bit of a blur for me because I watched hours of the Tokyo Olympics. I’ve loved the Olympics since I was a kid. Luckily, my husband loves them even more than I do. So we park ourselves in front of the TV for those two weeks and revel in the miracle of a world competing, and yet united.
There is so much to love about the Olympics, but especially this year. Our whole world is suffering with a deadly pandemic. Millions worldwide have died, and we don’t seem close to an end to this as so many haven’t been vaccinated and so many in the U.S. refuse to do so. We all seem to be on edge in many ways. As a psychologist and professional coach, I’ve never seen more stress and unhappiness than I have over the last eighteen months. People are scared, angry, lonely, and longing for a return to normal without a pandemic hanging over their lives.
The Olympics brought a beautiful reprieve to this challenging time. To see the athletes from all over the world together, competing, supporting each other, and thriving was a sight to behold. I started crying at the opening ceremonies and I maintained some level of tears throughout the whole two weeks of the Olympics. The athletes and their families brought so much joy to the world and so much desperately needed hope for the future.
Finding Olympic Motivation in Our Daily Lives
The Olympics show how powerful our bodies can be and how even more powerful our mindset and determination can be. The stories of athletes finding unique and safe places to do their training, the sacrifice of their families, and the dedication of their teammates gave me a boost of motivation and joy that I have been struggling to find as the pandemic surges yet again. Watching the athletes push themselves to break records, to celebrate wins, accept losses and to manage mental struggles as well as physical ones was incredibly inspiring.
How can we each be Olympians in our own lives? How can we challenge ourselves to confront our fears and keep going even if we fail? #olympics #hope #inspiration #motivation Click To TweetHow can we each be Olympians in our own lives? How can we continue to challenge ourselves? How can we walk into our greatest fears and keep walking even when we lose or mess up in some way? How can we stay focused on our own dreams even when the world seems to be falling down around us? How can we find the joy that challenging ourselves and growing brings to not only Olympic athletes, but all of us?
Three more years until the next summer Olympics. I can’t wait!
Love,
Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC