Just like everyone else in the world, I have been glued to my TV watching the Olympics for the past week. There is a certain type of pride you gain by witnessing your country compete internationally. Watching someone succeed at what they love is a special moment to witness, and the Olympics are chock-full of those.
Our generation has been taught to "Do All the Things!" We have been conditioned to think that the more activities we participate in and the thinner we can spread ourselves, the better off we will be. I have fallen victim to that idea, as I think we all have.
But then, as you get to witness something as special as the Olympics, it completely shifts your world on its axis. These athletes have all found their element, their space in the world where they fit in perfectly. These athletes have put their entire hearts and souls into their respective sports. They have chosen their spheres and never looked back. That is something everyone could stand to be inspired by.
Olympic athletes are a very unique type of person. They are determined, tough, smart, and strong-willed. Olympic athletes don't participate in a medley of activities hoping to gather more credentials for their resumes. They put their whole being into one thing, and that has a major payoff for them. These athletes have fought their entire lives for these very moments. As an aspiring international competitor, I find myself identifying with these athletes. I, like them, have found my element, my place where I can find myself and lose myself all at once. My place where I can shine.
As I prepare to apply for colleges, solidify my resume, and get ready for the real world, I have had the creeping feeling that I don't do enough, that I need to join more clubs, sports, anything to write on an application. The Olympics have saved me from that mindset. I watch these athletes and am reminded that you don't have to do a million things to be exceptional; you just have to put your everything into one.
The Olympics are inspirational for a number of reasons. Everyone loves to support their country, sing along with the National Anthem whenever it is played, and cheer for their favorite athlete. As millennials, I think we could all use a reminder sometimes that it is OK to not participate in a million activities. As we watch the Olympics from the comfort of our living rooms, we can all take a page from the athletes who can teach us to put our heart and soul into our own passions: to push harder, be stronger, be better.
