Jeff Gee’s Blog

Self Discipline

August 13th, 2008

I’ve just been watching the Olympics and it’s amazing to see all these athletes competing. For some of them, it will be their last chance for a medal, and others like Mark Phelps are going for an all-time record of 8 gold medals, but what really caught my eye was the womens gymnast team.

One of the team members fell during a routine and it messed up the chances for the whole team to win a gold. And as she was being interviewed I could see that she was holding back the tears, and she was being really brave. Then later, when the whole team was being interviewed on of her team mates said, ‘we’re a team, we stand together, we all make mistakes.’

And this echoed a conversation I had earlier in the day with a friend. Those of us with children, are so willing to forgive them, to accept them, and to love them no matter what they do. Why can’t we do that with the rest of the world? We’re all on this planet together. If I throw garbage in the street, someone else has to pick it up, and if I put my garbage in the trash can, someone else has to deal with it. I should be walking around being grateful in every moment. I should feel appreciative every day–people, strangers are cleaning up the streets, making the parks look pretty, keeping the roads safe, designing new buildings, creating a better world.

And yet, a lot of the time we moan, and groan about what we don’t have and then feel bad. These Olympians are amazing role models. They mess up, they get on with it. They fall, and hurt themselves, they put on a bandage and get on with it. If a team member screws up, they forgive and keep on training.

So just for today, let’s act like an Olympian. Have courage. Be brave. Forgive people. Love people. Feel grateful. Act like a winner. Be a warrior. And if you fall down, get up, shake yourself down and start all over again. Rock N Roll Val & Jeff

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