Shawn Johnson, a former gymnast who competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, claiming three silver medals and one gold medal, was known as America's sweetheart. In case you have not seen the video yet, Shawn spoke about her experience being in the limelight with the organization I Am Second, a movement which encourages others to live for God. You can watch her entire video here to hear more about her life.
In a nutshell, Shawn relates to us listeners a memory of receiving her first silver medal at Beijing. Nastia Liukin's score was the highest and Shawn knew she would not win the gold before she gave what she calls one of the greatest performances she had ever given. In her mind she thought that although she would not win, at least she would know (and hopefully others would know as well) that she gave it 110 percent and did her absolute best. However, when she was given her silver medal at the awards, the man who gave it to her said, "I'm sorry." Shawn explained that from hearing those two words she felt that she had let the whole world down and that although she gave it her all, it was not enough to the millions of viewers. After this she went on to receive an additional two silver medals, and finally a gold, but by that point she said it did not really matter anymore.
From there on, the 16- (now 24-) year-old was caught up in the net of the media and fame. She was a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" but was criticized by many about her height, weight, and personality. Shawn said she began changing everything about herself, which she noted was "exhausting," and on top of it all, she was training at least 40 hours a week for the next Olympic games. Out of sheer concern, her parents wanted her to see a psychologist, suspecting her of clinical depression.
However, Shawn recalls a powerful moment that occurred to her while she was about to start her practice one day on the balance beam. She says while staring down at the beam she felt she could hear God telling her that although she has been afraid of disappointing a lot of people it was OK for her to follow her heart and put it all behind her. "In that instant I felt the entire world be lifted off my shoulders, and it was like in that one instant I knew it was all going to be OK," Shawn explains, "I was giving my heart and soul, and getting to a place I was not proud of, all for that gold medal again that I distinctly remember in 2008 not being the greatest thing in the world, and I think it's just that kind of validation that there's always more." There's always more. After a great deal of consideration, the gymnast chose to retire from competitive gymnastics on June 3, 2012. From her experience Shawn tells us that God is her everything and He will always be her proudest award, regardless of however many gold medals she could win.
I was so inspired by this story because sometimes you do not really know what is going through the minds of celebrities and professional athletes. For me, way back when (only a little over two years ago) I played on a competitive ultimate frisbee team in high school. We were a very successful team, winning Regional championships every year, claiming the state championship title every year, second place at Nationals, and winning other additional tournaments throughout the season. Those days were some of my favorite memories of high school and we all worked really hard to get to where we were; I have the medals and trophies to prove it. However, I was never happy with how I played. Instead of playing for fun I instead began focusing merely on perfecting everything, which of course you want to improve your game, sure, but I had impossible standards for myself. It sometimes ruined the joy I once had for the sport, and it was exhausting.
As an athlete, you work towards that goal of winning, getting first place. It's an incredible feeling when you are given that gold medal, knowing that all of your hard work paid off in the end, however these feelings are fleeting. These short moments of happiness wear off, and they pass with time. Don't get me wrong, they are great memories and wonderful things to experience, but my point is these brief joys of this world are not our ultimate end. Isn't it incredible that our God created us so that ultimately nothing of this world will fill that gap in our hearts because only He can fill it with His love? He is love!
Another important thing I want to point out that I love about Shawn's interview is that she knows now that no one else's opinions matter. With all of the criticism and judgments she received throughout her career she thought changing herself and doing what she thought everyone else would want would make them happy, which would ultimately make her happy. There is a lot of pressure out there now about what we as women should look like, how we should act, and what we should do with ourselves. In the end, however, who's opinion really matters? Who are we ultimately trying to please? As kids we do what we can to make our parents proud. For me, there's nothing quite like hearing one of my parents say that they are proud of me. We seek this approval from our True Father, who everyday tells us that He loves us. Let this be the motivation, to know that the Lord is telling us, I am proud of you, let that be enough.
So let's take note of Shawn's story. It's time to let go of the things we cannot control, and instead live our lives according to God's will. When we are doing His will we choose the best path that will make us the happiest, and always He will tell us, I love you and I am proud of you.
I am second. God is first.
