21 LIFE LESSONS FROM RIO

I would not describe myself as a big fan of sports for emotional reasons. One more confession: my face glows when I see the Kenyan flag swaying left and right. So, partly for patriotic reasons, I watched some of the games in Rio Olympics. 

Curtains have finally dropped and the dust is slowly settling..Not sure if there was dust though..As the Olympians world over bagged the medals, (Congratulations to our sportsmen and women. ) I bagged some lessons.As our heroes  and heroines come back home with medals here are some of the insights we can get:

#1. Our talents were given to us for the sole purpose of glorifying God. 

 I love Brianna Rollins Twitter profile  after her race which read:

“I want to break world records and win gold medals, but I also want to be known as the athlete who glorified God by reaching my full potential.”

#2. Past success is past.. 
It didn't help any team to bask in past glory. None of the athletes won the Olympics by reminding the umpires that they had won in several other activities before. It  mattered then. Not anymore. They had to prove it yet again. We have to prove it again.

#3. Success means not giving up. 
Some of the records were broken by newcomers who seemed not so big a threat. Countries that had tried many times before without success but had hung on and kept trying. 

#4. There is no limit to human potential..
 It was interesting to see many records broken sometimes by the very people that set them.

#5. The winner is not an enemy to the loser.
 It was quite interesting to watch the winner hug the competitor......( Apart from the martial art guys) ....I hear they call it sportmanship.. I wish sportmanship was part of our every day life.

#6.  Eyes on the prize.
Sometimes It mattered least who started first. It only mattered to have kept  eyes focused on the finish line.

#7.It is over only when the whistle blows and truly over when anthem is sung..
 Before that it's not celebration yet. So don't disqualify yourself until it's over. Until the whistle is blown, there is still  a chance, no matter how slim.

#8. The race was not for the swift..
They all had the equal time and chance to prove themselves.There were teams I felt were the better team but in the end they lost to the seemingly weaker team. Sometimes the "sprintest" sprinter lost.

#9. Everyone is up to the task..
There were races where I would wonder why athletes came to compete if they knew they would lose. Then it dawned on me that none left their countries with the anticipation of losing.

#10. Results results results. Not reasons. 
No one cares for the reasons. There is no race where the last was asked why they weren't the first.

#11.  Home ground doesn't matter..
No wonder Brazil was not the highest in the medal standings. Success can be attained home or away.

#12. Choices are part of victory..
Athletes make daily choices on what they eat, what they drink, when to train and so forth. Whichever the choice they make in the long run has consequences on their performance.
The choices and mistakes of every day add up to victory or defeat.It all adds up.
 
# 13. Discipline cannot be downplayed. 
The athletes are on very strict regimens.  It is not a law that all sports men should wake up early or train hard. However they remain disciplined because they are aware that it is indiscipline will cost them highly.

#14.  Excellence is a way of life. 
The champions will tell you that they have adopted excellence as their way of life. It takes sacrifice. Great sacrifice..

# 15. Success is not an accident. 
Success is about how much we are willing to invest. It is prepared for. The athletes will admit  they did not sleep as ordinary and wake up as extraordinary.. It took lots of training, patience and so much time.

#16. Every second counts. 
Some of the athletes won and others lost by a second. Wisdom is making good use of seconds, minutes and hours.

#17. Life is a steeplechase..
Obstacles are part of it.Ask Consenslus Kipruto or Ezekiel Kemboi, ( I haven't asked them)  I know they will tell you that the obstacles are what make it steeple. Overcoming them is what brings the fulfilment.
  

#18. It can only get better. 
Quite  many records were broken..  I bet at the time they were set, the competitors thought that was as best as humans can get.. Yet they get better by the day.

#19. Play by the rules..
Part of winning is playing by the rules.. There are events that I saw contestants who struck me as the best but were disqualified for not keeping playing by the rules.

#20. Confidence Confidence.
There were many fears on doping but it turns out the best doping is training as one of the athletes remarked when asked about doping. I love the confidence with which the athletes marched into the sports village despite the claims like warriors ready for war.

#21. God is God even on the playfield.
 It was so humbling to see athletes kneel down and give thanks at the finish line.  With the gold, the sweat and the pride of having represented their countries, countless knees knelt, tongues confessed and heads bowed in thanksgiving to God.

As the Olympics began I said It never was Rio but because the Rio was and ended on 21st August,  I restrict my list to 21. 

To the sports men and women, Congratulations. You have given the Olympics your best. You have flown the flag high, You have done us proud. We salute you. Welcome Home.