From the Editor's Computer
Have you been following the Olympics in Sochi, Russia?
There have been the usual exciting moments that have included unexpected
medals, personal triumphs, heart-breaking defeats, the first-time ever ties and
the oh-so-close-but-not-close-enough finishes.
As well, there were the touching
team-spirit stories such as the one where the Canadian cross-country ski coach
gave a new ski to the Russian athlete so he could finish the race with dignity,
and the speed skater who gave up his spot to his team mate.
We should be very proud of our athletes and
coaches. They have done well.
Each and every athlete that qualified to
compete at the Olympics has achieved a certain level of proficiency in their
chosen sport. They are the best of the
best in the world.
Yet, despite this being one of the biggest
competitions on our world stage, the athletes aren’t really competing against each
other.
In truth, each and every athlete is
competing only against themselves. No
matter what their sport, each athlete has to be better, not than their
competitors, but themselves.
They have to be faster, higher, more
technically proficient, or more artistic than their own personal best. They only have to perform better than they
did the previous time they executed their sport.
And they don’t have to be significantly
better or faster or more technical. They
have to be just a tiny fraction of a second faster, or 1 point more technically
accurate, or just a fraction of a centimetre higher.
If you are mastering a sport or learning a
new skill, you just need to be one small step better than you were the previous
time.
If you are changing a habit, you need to
just be successful one more time than you were previously.
Or, if you are like me and on a health
quest, then you just need to feel a little bit better than the previous
day.
When you think that any change or
improvement in your life is daunting or simply too overwhelming,
remember...baby steps.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17fG0YeclnjJpltg_-kGacOewNrdFUT7G/view?usp=sharing
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