THIS IS MY LIFE
Sunday, 2/24/2002
Copyright (c) 2002, Michael Dickerson. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction or quotation is strictly prohibited without
permission.

Hi, sports fans (or those of you who aren�t sports fans, but don�t mind that I am) ~

The closing ceremonies have just ended, and the Winter Olympics are finished. As usual, I loved the whole show, from the opening ceremonies through a wide variety of events to the closing ceremonies. I watched every day, every evening. Sometimes I watched events twice (they showed them here during prime time and then repeated them after Jay Leno).

I was moved. I was inspired. I felt excitement. I felt sadness. I felt hopeful. Above all, I just keep feeling something powerful.

As far as I�m concerned, they could have gone on for at least a couple more weeks.

Some of you know that athletic participation is an on-going inspiration and metaphor for me. It isn�t the competition that matters; it�s just those people going out there and doing their best with dedication and enthusiasm that moves me. Some of the movies that have been most inspiring for me have been movies that focused on sports: �Chariots of Fire,� �Rudy,� �Remember the Titans,� one with Michael Douglas that wasn�t very popular that was called, I think, �Running,� and many more. If I want to get myself pumped up, watching a bunch of those movies will do it for me.

Same thing with the Olympics. I watch the athletes participate, and I feel that part of myself that knows it can soar (or slide, as the case may be).

And at the same time, I recognize what it is in me that keeps me from being there, participating in the Olympics (speaking only partly metaphorically). It�s my lack of self-discipline. And that�s what I see in those athletes and in those movies that I admire: self-discipline grounded in commitment. They all do what it takes to get there. And, as far as I�m concerned, that�s the victory. Medal or not, they�re all winners. In �Running� Michael Douglas� character didn�t win a medal; his victory was just finishing a marathon. But, he overcame injury and everyone else�s opinion and negative thinking, and he finished. He did what it takes. They do what it takes. There�s the message to me.

So, I want to tell you who my heroes were in this Olympics. They all had something in common � other than participating and other than winning a medal (which they all did). See if you can identify what it is.

My heroes for the 2002 Winter Olympics were Simon Ammann (the Swiss ski jumper), Alisa Camplin (the Aussie ski aerialist), Derek Parra (the American speed skater), Tristan Gale (the American skeleton slider), Jimmy Shea (the American skeleton slider), Vonetta Flowers (the American bobsledder), and Sarah Hughes (the American figure skater).

Do you get it? Do you know what they all had in common? I�ll tell you what I saw in common in them in one of my next few messages.

I�m beyond grateful for the Olympics. They touch me very deeply, and they send me off, inspired, into my life.

Namaste,
Michael

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ABOUT THIS IS MY LIFE
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This Is My Life is my letters to my family, friends, and whoever
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