The scene is one of pageantry, excitement and magnetic attraction. Thousands are in the stands shouting, ringing bells, making noise any way they can.  With gloved hands waving, banners flying, flags swaying, the long parade of faces reflecting the kaleidoscope of the human experience, they file purposefully into the stadium. Their smiles gleam with joy, pride and a sense of achievement. Every four years this scene is played out as the world comes together to celebrate and share in the joy and pride of human athletic prowess. In about a year, we will all gather around our television sets excitedly watching the athletes march in the opening ceremony in Torino, Italy and for the next two weeks we will watch with keen interest as they slide, skate and dance on ice. We will be glued to our sets, entertained and mesmerized, motivated and inspired, celebrating with the victors and empathizing with those who failed to make it on the medal podium. What is it that makes us so enamored with the Olympic Games?  Is it nationalistic fervor, passionate patriotism or love of competition?

I believe its all these things and more. When Pierre de Coubertin founded the modern Olympics one of his goals was to foster athletic excellence.  As athletes compete in the sporting arena, displaying their vast array of athletic talent and prowess, we will no doubt be impressed with the ease and grace with which they perform such difficult maneuvers. I think our love affair stems from a connection we make with them on a deeper level.  They have achieved and are displaying excellence in one area of their lives and deep down each and every one of us knows that we do have greatness and the capacity for excellence inside us. We also know that while we may not be able to skate like Brian Boitano or sprint like Flo Jo, if we were to commit ourselves with the same level of dedication we have the capacity to develop and display the same level of excellence given the talents to which are predisposed.

Over the next several months I will explore some of the traits that are common to Olympians and the principles they have applied to their lives. These principles and traits have allowed them the opportunity and given them the right to march in the opening ceremony. You too have those same traits and the ability to learn and apply the same principles that will allow you to march in your own ceremony. It may be a graduation ceremony, the first day on your dream job or opening the doors of your own business. Whatever it is, it will speak volumes of the way in which you shed the cloak of mediocrity and opened the door to your full potential and while you may not be on TV being watched by millions around the world, it will have the same level of importance and significance as those at the Olympic ceremony.

Olympians are not born, they are made and while I agree that it does require that you have a certain amount of athletic talent to start with, the fact of the matter is that it is not always the most talented athlete that makes the team. It is the one who sacrificed and spent the time honing and developing their skills in order to earn one of the few coveted spots on the team. In the Olympics of life we are at decided advantage over these athletes. There is a spot for all of us on the team but like them we must spend an inordinate amount of time developing ourselves in order to reap the advantages of being on the team. And what’s wonderful about it is that there are no restrictions to what you can do and become, except the ones you place on yourself through the limitations of your mind.  Choose the event you want to compete in and go after it with your heart and soul. It may be getting your GED or your college degree, switching careers or going back into the work force, finding your dream job or starting your own business. Know that it is possible and make the commitment to do it in an excellent way.  Your life will be forever richer because of it. Note the words of the famed football coach Vince Lombardi “ The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” I am in no way suggesting that this is an easy walk in the park. It is a challenging and arduous path but one you must nonetheless follow in order to achieve excellence. Deep down inside you know that you are meant to be more than you are right now and you will never truly feel fulfilled or satisfied if you don’t reach that level of excellence. I agree with John Gardener who said “ When we raise our sights, strive for excellence, dedicate ourselves to the highest goals of our society, we are enrolling in an ancient and meaningful cause----the age-long struggle of humans to realize the best that is in them.”

If you study those who will march in the opening ceremony in Torino next year or any other high achieving person in any area outside of sports you will discover that they toiled and persevered so that they could become outstanding in their chosen field of endeavor. Remember excellence is the name of the game and the market always pay top dollars for top performances whether they be in sports, business or the game of life. The difference in the final results between the peak performers and those who fall short of the mark is usually very slim. In bobsledding after four heats each lasting just under a minute, the difference between a gold and silver medal is often one hundredth of a second. After an hour-long hockey game and scores of shots on goal, the difference is often one goal. One sale often separates the salesperson who made quota from the one who didn’t; one point separates the student who made the honor roll from the one who didn’t. They are minimal differences in performance but significant differences in rewards. Note, however, the rewards of being excellent go way beyond monetary and material gains. The sense of accomplishment, high self-esteem and high expectations that comes as a result of being a peak performer are priceless. Peak performers tend to be more confident and contented, balanced and relaxed with a more positive outlook on life and this allows them to turn the difficult tasks and challenges they face into a labor of love. You must love what you do in order to be excellent at it.

“To be or not to be? That is the question.” A profound question asked many years ago and one that still has incredible significance today. Everyday you wake up with the choice to be a peak performer, a person of excellence and high achievement. You also have a choice not to be. You can choose to be mediocre and live lives of quiet desperation. I exhort you to awake the Olympian that’s lying in you waiting to take charge of your life. Indeed you were born with incredible potential but as I said before, life’s rewards don’t go to those with potential but to those who perform. In this and ensuing newsletters my goal is to inspire you to unwaveringly reach for the excellence that you are capable of. In order to be, you must do. So like the Olympians we will admire a year from now, create your vision, craft your goals and develop a step-by-step plan to reach them. Start today. Start now. As Johann von Goethe exhorted, “What you do, or dream you can do, begin it; boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”