I’ve been loving the Olympics, as I always do. I’m actually obsessed; I weep when the athletes win, I weep when they lose, I check the medal table like it’s social media and I look back to gangly 12 year old me and wonder what could have been. (I ran with an athletics club for a while and realised the main reason I went was the mini mars bar I was allowed after training – not sure that would have seen me through to Rio.)
The reason the Olympics is so awesome is it’s an unfiltered display of human emotion. And on top of that it’s the culmination of years of work, it’s resilience served up on a plate. These athletes have it hard on their way to the podium, cold early starts, lactic acid overload, injury, frustration, but they push through and find themselves at the most epic event in the world.
These athletes are alive, they go through immense highs and immense lows, they are embracing what it is to be human.
We don’t have to be Olympic athletes to feel the same as them. What’s required is to be open and committed to being unfiltered and embracing our emotional range, and to show up fully every day to achieving what we want to achieve.
We are all human, with the capacity to feel those same extraordinary feelings the Olympians feel. It’s just about having the big vision in mind every day and taking small actions to get there. Sometimes the action might be to take time away to self-care and step back, but it’s all in service of that bigger picture. And all the while being open and connected to the emotions that come up, because it’s no good getting to the end point without any connection to your emotions, it ends up feeling empty.
So how can you apply this to your life? What’s your gold medal moment? Are you showing up to that goal in some way every day? And are you staying connected to and aware of your emotions along the way?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Sending love, Hannah
Ps. Still on the fence about the Bird Retreat in October 2016? Check it out here for more info, or book here!