When the world’s elite athletes gather in London for the Summer Olympic Games, it gives us a great opportunity to feel inspired.
More than 4 billion people watched the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games—the single biggest television event in history. That means this year when you sit down to watch events at this year’s Olympic Games, you will be having an experience along with more than half of the world’s population. Even though we may be cheering on different athletes from different nations, we will be connected by a common event, which can help can spark the profound and sudden joy of Inspiration.
We’ll also undoubtedly hear the inspirational stories of athletes—how they put in long hours to train, overcame adversity, or summoned the strength to compete despite an injury. These stories can help us feel awe, and may even inspire us to set some goals of our own.
HOW TO OPEN YOURSELF TO OLYMPIC INSPIRATION
There is a psychological bridge between past and present, and sometimes witnessing inspirational moments, or hearing the athletes’ stories of triumph can help connect us in this moment, and inspire us in the future when we revisit our feelings of awe.
When you are feeling awed by an experience, try to capture some of the details of the moment so that you can remember them for reflection.
-Where is it occurring?
-Who is there?
-What are the sights and sounds that you see and hear?
-How does it make you feel?
We can’t summon Inspiration, but we can create ways for ourselves to be open to the possibility of it. As you watch the Olympic Games this month, take in the details of the stories you hear, and create a way to record these feelings to revisit in the future for reflection. Doing so may just help you experience the awe you feel today as Inspiration in the future.
Share with us in the comments below—which moments from past or present Olympic Games have summoned a feeling of joy for you?
I have to admit I don;t feel too connected to the Summer Olympics – nothing compared to the Winter Olympics which was always my favorite (ok it’s the Figure Skating). I have kept up a bit with what is online (which is everything down to the tiniest detail) but I didn’t find much Inspiration there – oh except for Oscar Pistorius the South African double amputee runner. I mean – wow – now that is AMAZING.