Olympians LOP

Posted to Facebook Aug. 2nd.
I am once again drawn into the energy of the Olympics and have been tuning into the broadcasts from London.  This year I have been hearing interesting talk about training.  They go into the details of the amount of time and energy it takes, and what their bodies have to do to get to this level of competition.  And, they are also often commenting on the mental and emotional training that is being done.  These athletes practice deliberate thoughts and emotions.

They are talking about the athletes' abilities to: focus and stay present in the moment, not look too far ahead in the race; not slip into doubt about their ability; rehearse their routine over and over in the mind so their mind and body believe they have done this routine hundreds of times before; shut off the voices in their brain that distract them, and let their body do what they have trained it to do; stay calm under pressure; believe.

At this level of competition it is often fractions of a second that determines the medallists from the last place competitors, and so we know they all have immense physical ability.  These athletes, and their coaches, know that it is the training they have done mentally and emotionally that will often make the difference.

So, if it is good enough for them, perhaps it is good enough for us?  No I am not trying to shave a fraction of a second off anything I am doing today, but I am wanting to: stay calm; focus on what I am doing in any moment; imagine things unfolding they way I want them to; quiet the voices that distract me; and believe in who I really am.

The Olympians know that deliberate thoughts and emotions are worth it for them to achieve their dreams -- for them to express who they really are.  Maybe their dreams seem far fetched to us, but are our desires any less important?  Are our daily gold performances, of us showing up as who we really are, any less inspiring? 

LOP is believing we are all Olympians.