Do Work

Sorry for redundancy of topic here, friends, but it has to happen. This may not be my last post related to the Olympics, either. So you may either bear with me or not. :)

I feel like I've been experiencing a total perspective shift in the last week and a half, and yes, it's because of the Olympics, strange as it sounds. The people that are competing this year are inspiring me in so many ways it's ridiculous. Not only are they amazing athletes, but they all work so incredibly hard to be as good as they are. To be the best in the world at something is such a strange and foreign concept to me - I can't even imagine what that would feel like. I'm pretty good at several things, but I've never been the best at anything. In fact, I've never worked anywhere near that hard for anything, either. It's embarrassing. But as I said, it's inspiring. I want to BE BETTER. It's time to do work.

In case you haven't been following along with the events - and I know some of you aren't, because you told me so! - I wanted to share one of the other reasons that I'm so inspired by these athletes. Aside from their incredible work ethics, some of these people have overcome crazy hardships and injuries that for most normal people it would have made it impossible to compete again. Lindsey Vonn (an Alpine skier), for example, shouldn't have been able to compete this week due to a terrible shin injury last week, but she came back the other day and won Gold in the Women's Downhill.

And then there's J.R. Celski, the Short Track speed skater - you probably shouldn't get me started on him, but it's too late. I first heard about him just over a week ago while watching the Biggest Loser - no, he wasn't a contestant, he was at the Olympic Training Center and he helped the contestants and shared his own story. I was blown away and immediately became one of his newest (and perhaps most enthusiastic?) fans. During the Olympic Trials back in September, J.R. had already qualified for three events, and was in the middle of his race for the 500 meters when he sliced into his own thigh with his other skate blade. Say what? I think he said that that gash was 6 inches long across his leg, and 3 inches deep. He also said the blade cut in only a couple inches shy of the main vein in his leg - the vein that, if cut, could be fatal. And yet, by some miracle, and then followed by sheer determination, less than 6 months later, here J.R. is...not only skating in the Olympics, but racing really well. He's already won a Bronze medal and has two more events to compete in, both of which he's already passed the qualifying rounds for.

...And I can't even organize my room or work out four times a week consistently.

These people amaze me, and I really think I'll be walking away from this experience of watching TV for two weeks (ha!) a changed person. I want to live my life differently. I want to know that whatever I do, I  will do the best I possibly can, and I haven't been living that way.

I'll say it again, it's time to DO WORK.

Those are my thoughts for the day.   :)