Olympic Gold Lifestyle


There’s something about the Olympics. Maybe it’s the herculean effort to qualify. Maybe it’s four years of anticipation. Maybe it’s the record-setting pace and the nail-biting races.

For me, it’s those heart-gripping video productions chronicling the life of the athlete, with parent and coach interviews about the many triumphs and trials—powerfully inspiring minutes leading up to what is expected to be a gold winning performance.


For the athletes, it’s way more than a sporting event; this has been a lifelong commitment. They may not get the gold medal, but they’re living a gold medal life.

First place: Yasmine nearing the 100-meter finish line
Washington State School of the Blind Track Meet



Recently I read about a young athlete who is not Olympic bound, yet she runs like she is. Six-year-old Yasmine Littleraven captivated me with her smile even before I realized she couldn’t see. But her vision impairment is not her handicap; it seems to be her motivation.Yasmine works hard and has a winning attitude—that’s the foundation to a gold medal life.

I’m challenged by Yasmine’s determination—and her Olympic-style effort. I know I can’t be a winning athlete, but there is another race for me to run. There’s a race for each of us to run. What's your race? Look for your inner gift and pursue it with medal-winning determination. The key to a gold medal life is using your talents to run your life's race.



God has given talents to each of us. They are usually found in the things that give us joy. It's not about money and fame — it's about passionately using our gifts and sharing the joy they bring. 

An elderly friend, confined to a wheelchair, makes comforters for the local homeless shelter. Another friend's passion fuels his career as he methodically researches for answers to some of life's most debilitating diseases. Some are coaches; others are teammates. Some sing, others dance. 




Music, art, science, mathematics, sewing, cooking, parenting, teaching, photography.....our gifts are as varied as we are.  It can be as simple as bringing a smile to someone else.


Even though we’re not in the Olympics, we each have a race to run—and only a short lifetime to run it. Our gold medal life happens as we run our race to win. And we can win it. If you doubt, just remember Yasmine—smile big, hold on to the guide rail, and keep running.

So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. Hebrews 12


Photo credits for Yasmine’s picture: Shannyn Wiseman
From 5/24/12  Shelton Mason County Journal



Popular posts from this blog

Counting the Cost

Image
Something big is missing in this photo. Let me explain. Here in my hometown, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe prepared a parcel of land for a new hotel. Plenty of planning and architectural designs were evaluated. A gemstone of a hotel would be built across from the waterfront—a beautiful, restful place welcoming travelers. A true four-star facility.   They cleared the aging brick structures that had been fading away between Front Street and Railroad Avenue. Then the pandemic hit, shortages of labor and supplies, add in the costly inflation that followed. Everything stopped.   But this is what I admire about the Elwha Tribe: they have counted the cost. They didn’t want to move forward and take on tremendous debt. They would rather move slowly and be financially ready, rather than begin building and then letting it sit unfinished.   Counting the cost is something I should have done earlier in life when I didn’t know what high interest rates would do to our farming cost...
Read more

Summertime Music

Image
During the summer months, in an outside seating area, a delightfully painted piano sits with a sign that says, “Play me”.   It was just before 8 pm as I walked past the piano. My bus would be arriving soon, and I still have another ten minutes to walk before reaching my bus stop. But no one is around. It’s a beautiful warm evening. I pulled out the piano bench and sat down. The sun was behind me, and the piano keys reflected its glow. I had no music in front of me, only the songs within me. Notes drifted into the air.  In those brief moments, the magic of music and summer came together. Isn’t that how it is? Summertime music has a way of lingering in our minds and lasting a lifetime. As I stood and grabbed my things, I heard distant clapping—I guess I wasn’t alone, after all.
Read more

Planting Good Seeds

Image
Harvest will always depend on what we plant and how well we care for our crop.    Looking over my seed packets, I notice they’re different than the ones I planted before. One package is called Word seeds. The directions say that each of my words is a seed, so it cautions me to think before I speak. Harsh words don’t produce sweet, nourishing fruit. These seeds will require thoughtful care in the garden. I see some Volunteer seeds. Those extra hours I tend to fritter away are going to be planted in a useful project.   It looks like time isn’t wasted in this garden plot. Next are some Love seeds—the directions are interesting: get up each day and love others. No specifics are given—just do something for someone every day. The seed package shows pictures of smiling faces. I smile back. As I’m ready to head to the garden with my seeds, a package falls to the ground. I open it. Inside are the tiniest seeds I’ve ever seen—but the directions s...
Read more