“You are the greatest project you’ll ever focus on. Restart. Reset. Refocus. As many times as you need. Just don’t give up.”
Olympic athletes spend years of their lives training for their moment in the spotlight. Those moments can last a few minutes or several hours. They can be competing individually or as a member of a group. However their moment plays out, it takes place with millions of people watching.
The pressure is intense and as a spectator you find your heart rejoicing or aching for these people that you have never met. And as you naturally find yourself pulling for your own country, you also find other people’s stories compelling - especially those of people who have faced adversity and not given up.
Simon Biles is literally one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. I think we can agree that when you have gymnastic moves named after yourself, you have met that criteria.
But her amazing story doesn’t just end with gold medals and standing ovations. In 2020, she took herself out of that Olympic competition after suffering from “the twisties”. The twisties happen when a gymnast is in midair and loses their sense of where they are and how they’ll land, making the move very risky. Biles described it as being "lost in the air."
She goes on to describe how your body and mind disconnect. Met with these circumstances, she found herself having to step away from the sport and focus on her mental health.
She also was brave enough to do this publicly. As Biles revealed in a recent interview, “I think we used to think of therapy as a weakness, and now I think of it as a strength.” It was after years of training, both physically and emotionally, that she returned to this year’s Olympics with stunning results.
She restarted, reset and refocused. She was persistent and determined.
Another athlete, Felix Dolci, of Canada, had a malfunction occur during his high bar routine where his hand guard ripped, causing him to fly off the bars. His routine was over but he got back up, while the audience applauded, and he made a heart symbol with his hands.
Later he returned, and fell once again, the pain of an injured hand, made more obvious and yet, he returned…
He restarted, reset and refocused. He was persistent and determined.
And the crowd cheered, coaches and other players were supportive and the goodness of humanity was once again prevalent.
These are just two of many more stories this year’s Olympics have provided. Stories that show, whether you win or lose, whether you feel the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, you must keep going ... .Life can give you moments where all of the preparation is there and still it doesn’t go your way…
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Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
Photo by Jennifer Malphy.
This week’s Smile video…
One of my favorite smile videos from five years ago…When 13-year-old Gavin Mabes and some friends went to a skate park, nobody was there except Carter Bruynell, who was celebrating his 5th birthday with his mom. That's when something unexpected happened. Steve Hartman has their story on the road.
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
And that’s a good thing…
When my son Michael was a child he loved to “sneak up” on butterflies, birds and other creatures found in Mother Nature. I always was amazed at his connection with nature and how these animals could sense his gentleness.
This picture popped up on my Facebook memories from a past family vacation, when he was a teenager and he saw a deer walking in the driveway of the cabin we were staying at and he once again did his best to get a better look. The deer is barely visible in the trees and you can see Michael in the bottom right corner of the picture.
This picture reminds me of those many “gentle moments.”
…and that’s a good thing…
What I am watching…
This week I am watching the Olympics and it has been a very entertaining experience. I came across this quote on Facebook and I thought it fit well with this week’s topic…
“Why did I cry at this moment? Because this is what the USA is…and we get to live here. Five guys from all over the country. All different colors and backgrounds. One a first generation American who peaked late in the sport (Paul Juda), one an African American making men’s gymnastics cool again (Fred Richard), one Asian American who was made fun of for being too short (Asher Hong), one rodeo man who literally had to learn to walk again after a devastating knee injury just last year (Brody Malone) and one self proclaimed “nerd” who had one job and he did it well (Stephen Nedoroscik). They worked together as a team. All leaning on each other's strengths. This is what happens when Diversity is our STRENGTH! We all bring in our uniqueness and what makes us special. This. This right here is what makes the USA the best country in the world! “-Coach Eric
What I am reading…
This week I started reading the book The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names by Robert Gard. I used to have this book (the 1968 version) in the reference sections of my elementary libraries and I always enjoyed this book so when I had the opportunity to read an updated version from our local public library, I checked it out.
The Amazon description is as follows: “The names of places lie upon the land and tell us where we are or where we have been or where we want to go. And so much more.”―From the introduction
Fifty years ago, educator and writer Robert E. Gard traveled across Wisconsin, learning the trivial, controversial, and landmark stories behind how cities, counties, and local places got their names. This volume records the fruits of Gard’s labors in an alphabetical listing of places from every corner of Wisconsin, and the stories behind their often-unusual names. Gard’s work provides an important snapshot of how Wisconsin residents of a bygone era came to understand the names of their towns and home places, many of which can no longer to be found on any map.
Celebrated rural historian Jerry Apps introduces this reprint of Gard’s work, saying that in “some ways The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names is a reference book, a place where you can go to learn a little more about your hometown. But in many ways it is much more than that, for it includes the stories of places throughout the state, submitted by the people who knew them. It is a book where the story, people, and place all come together.”
Podcast picks…
Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns for Season 2 of her award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me™. Each week, she has funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. Julia sits at the feet of some extraordinary teachers this season (discover who in the trailer), and of course her 90-year-old mom, Judy. Tune in to laugh, cry and get wise. All Hail Old Women!
Mind/Body connections…
Let the dialogue and ambient music soundtrack guide you. The calm and peaceful guided meditation dialogue lasts for less than 7 minutes, followed by a few minutes of ambient music to bring you back out of meditation - 9 minutes total. You really are STRONGER than you think!!
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….
