Olympics

I used to love watching the Olympics,  the spectacle of it all,  the astounding efforts.  And then one day, a friend said,  we're not even giving a minute to the guy who came 9th,  best in his country,  9th in the world,  and he's not even on our radar.  

Then I started to look at the Olympics differently.  There are always the heartwarming stories,  but there is a bigger message about the cost of perfection.  The sheer courage it takes to see where you stand in the world - anyone ever measure the best lawyer in the country?  How would we measure the best doctor? in the entire world?  Sports is wonderful because you can quantify it - they ran this fast and now someone ran .1 seconds faster and they are now better.  

But as someone who frequently tells people,  you are good enough,  don't let the perfect get in the way of the good... I think this person just ran faster than you and I could imagine, and surely is fast enough. Why are we pushing these fine folk to ever higher heights/endeavors.  Let's not pretend that this doesn't damage their bodies long term.   

I far prefer Olympics to war,  and countries want to strut their stuff and increase their world stature via sport,  I say go for it.  But on a personal level,  I want to give them all a hug and tell them they are wonderful,  and to enjoy the sheer thrill of being there,  and not to let those tiny medals be the way they measure their souls. 

Notes to Myself, by Hugh Prather

I read this book,  Notes to Myself by Hugh Prather, way back when.  But the book I read was actually the 20th anniversary addition and it had been published in 1970! 

I was reminded of it during a tarot reading recently when a client was describing a book she had written and her desire to get it into print. 

Hugh had written:

After I had written this book I told several friends.  Their reaction was polite and mild.  Later I was able to tell them that the book was going to be published.  Most of them responded with the words "I'm proud of you."  Proud of the results but not of the action. 

Everyone but I must look back on my behavior.  They can only see my acts coupled with their results.  But I must act now, without knowing the results. 

I think we often praise the results,  rather than the effort.  You won an Olympic medal, so much more impressive than just being in the Olympics and coming 20th. But that's 20th in the world!  That's absolutely amazing! 

It is easy to look at the results and decide whether it was worth the effort or not. But we will never know the results beforehand,  and have to decide whether to go ahead or not,  without any assurances.  

All new activities follow the Fool card,  walking into the future, with a song in our heart,  not knowing what will happen, only what may,  what we hope for.  And then finding the purpose of the path only after we have walked it, seeing what it taught us. 

So my encouragement for all of us,  is to start a path,  put in the action,  and let the results come to us.