The Olympics Games only roll around every couple of years so we have to soak up every second of them when we have the opportunity to do so. However, before we get too caught up in watching talented athletes from all around the world compete we should consider some of the lessons the Olympics have to offer.

While they may serve as an excuse to stay inside and watch TV all day, the Olympics also give us an insane dose of inspiration to kick-start a healthier lifestyle. If you’re like me, you’re planning your next week of workouts while viewing track events and working on your flexibility while watching the U.S. women’s gymnastics team compete. There’s nothing like seeing hundreds of insanely fit and talented athletes defy all odds and break records to make you realize you need to put down the Doritos and go for a quick run. I mean, I find myself eating healthier subconsciously to make up for the lack of athleticism. Sure, watching these super humans can be depressing but we can also see it as inspiration for bettering ourselves. If Olympic athletes are able to dedicate their entire lives to perfecting one sport, surely I, an average human, can do a couple of push ups every once in a while.

Something I find really fascinating about the Olympics is how the athletes from different countries compete with such sportsmanship. You would think there would be a lot more competition between them since they’re from hundreds of different places; however there seems to be a lot of respect among all of the athletes. Even people who have worked their entire lives to earn a gold medal and fail to do so are seen congratulating their competitors. The athletes rarely seem angry or upset with one another or anything in general. Even if their scores aren’t fabulous, they never seem to show their frustration. I think it’s admirable that so many people from different backgrounds can come together and compete peacefully. Although they may be different from one another, they are bonded by their love for their sports. It’s refreshing to watch people of diverse backgrounds get along and focus solely on their sports. Sometimes our world seems so overrun by inequality and brutality that we lose sight of what’s most important. In the case of the Olympics, these athletes set aside their differences and inspire others to do the same. If we could always have friendly competition from those who are different from us, maybe our world would be a little more peaceful and accepting.

I believe one of the biggest takeaways from the Olympics is the power of passion. As a college student who can barely decide on a major, I find it incredible that Olympic athletes are so passionate about a single sport that they are willing to devote their entire lives toward mastering it. Have you ever taken a minute to think about how much time and effort these athletes have put in just for the chance to compete on the Olympic stage? Seriously, most of us hold up the line at fast food restaurants because we aren’t sure what we want or flip through a hundred television channels before picking something to watch. However, Olympic athletes decide when they were young that they want to stick with their sports. And they continue to make that decision over and over again, even when it get tough, until they make it to the Olympics. Even then, some people come back to the Olympics several times. I find it hard to believe Michael Phelps spends a lot of time eating Doritos and watching television, but I guess that’s one of the downfalls of being an Olympic athlete. When I watch the Olympics, I think about how I want to find something in life that I am as passionate about as Simone Biles is about gymnastics. I want to find a passion that dulls the pain of injuries and hardships. I think if we could all be as passionate about something as Olympic athletes are about their sports, we’d all be a little bit happier. Sure, sports might not be for everyone, but we all deserve to find our niche. We all deserve to find something that pushes us to keep moving forward no matter what life throws at us.