Star Atheletes
TearsTriumphs and Tears
I watched her perform in her pink gymnasts' outfit. She was a young person, just barely an adolescent. I knew that gymnastics takes a great deal of discipline and the goals are precision and perfection. Her routine realized that goal and then she stumbled on her landing, the very last part of her routine. That mistake cost her dearly. She put on a proper face, a winning smile, and yet I knew that she must have been crying on the inside. I wondered how she would handle that later in her private moments. A lot was expected of her and one mistake meant failure.
A female long distance runner had performed poorly at a previous event. The TV announcers predicted that she would not win a medal. She had performed well at other events and she was praised by the press. It seemed that the press and TV media were clear about the fact that no one believed in her anymore. She fell behind during the first part of the race and the TV announcers continued to make negative comments about her performance and they constantly repeated their prediction that she would fail. I wondered what she was thinking and feeling during her race. Did she believe her critics? Had she given up on herself? It all seemed so impossible, and yet I did not give up hope. Gradually she began to catch up and she was very close to the front runners. It was nearly over and then she seemed to fly as her speed increased dramatically. It was nip and tuck as the group neared the finish line and she finished just a few inches ahead of them. She gave more than she had and I saw her on her back gasping for breath. When she received her gold medal, she was barely able to stand. She was not injured and she would recover. She definitely had that something special that few people have and she won the day in a great triumph of will.
Our lives are not so different. Success requires a lot of hard work, perseverance, and discipline. Sometimes one mistake can lead to failure and we must decide if we will move on and get back on track. Some days it seems like no one believes in us and we must believe in ourselves. I wonder how we acquire that something special that few people have, and I know that it makes all of the difference.
Bear
A female long distance runner had performed poorly at a previous event. The TV announcers predicted that she would not win a medal. She had performed well at other events and she was praised by the press. It seemed that the press and TV media were clear about the fact that no one believed in her anymore. She fell behind during the first part of the race and the TV announcers continued to make negative comments about her performance and they constantly repeated their prediction that she would fail. I wondered what she was thinking and feeling during her race. Did she believe her critics? Had she given up on herself? It all seemed so impossible, and yet I did not give up hope. Gradually she began to catch up and she was very close to the front runners. It was nearly over and then she seemed to fly as her speed increased dramatically. It was nip and tuck as the group neared the finish line and she finished just a few inches ahead of them. She gave more than she had and I saw her on her back gasping for breath. When she received her gold medal, she was barely able to stand. She was not injured and she would recover. She definitely had that something special that few people have and she won the day in a great triumph of will.
Our lives are not so different. Success requires a lot of hard work, perseverance, and discipline. Sometimes one mistake can lead to failure and we must decide if we will move on and get back on track. Some days it seems like no one believes in us and we must believe in ourselves. I wonder how we acquire that something special that few people have, and I know that it makes all of the difference.
Bear
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