The Spirit of the Olympics

I love watching the Olympics.  I love watching the best athletes in the world showing off their skills and passion for the sport.  I love how these athletes and their stories inspire me. Interestingly, this year I found another source of inspiration from the Olympics, the commercials.              

I normally don't like to find myself wrapped up in commercials, but some of the commercials this year were quite inspiring.  There was a commercial by Toyota (see below) where a mom is on the phone with an adoption agency and they are informing her that there is a baby, but there are issues.  The baby's legs will have to be amputated.  The agency woman says it won't be easy.  All during this commercial while we hear the voices of the mom and the agency, we are watching a little girl with amputated legs learning to swim, then as she gets older we see her continue to swim to the point of an accomplished swimmer.  In the end, we see this swimmer come up to the edge of a pool which is the kitchen of the mother on the phone. The swimmer looks on as the mother tells the adoption agent it may not be easy, but it will be wonderful.  The girl in the water smiles and swims away.  Toyota grabs our hearts with the message that anyone can succeed when given a chance.  It is a beautiful message.  

The other commercial that really grabbed my attention and gives hope is the spot that shows kids watching athletic competitions on T.V. when something unfortunate happens like a collision of athletes or a trip and stumble in a long race.  But, each of these instances shows the professional and compassionate athletes give up the competition of winning to help their opponents to their feet.  They are beautiful moments of the spirit of competition, but in these commercials with children watching, it seems even more impacting.  Specifically, one is a famous track race where a runner stumbles and falls.  The runner next to her stops to help her opponent up off the track.  Then we see the child watching in her own sport, and helping another child up off the field after a fall like she had seen on TV.  Another boy watches one soccer player accidentally trip another on the field, and instantly stop to help the opponent up.  Then we see that lesson learned as the boy on his own soccer match helps an opponent up.  The message, by an advertiser whom I do not remember, teaching sportsmanship and compassion is one that we need to see not only in sports but in all aspects of our lives.  

Like the Christmas Spirit, I would love to see the spirit of the Olympics last far into the days after the games have closed.  This spirit of years of dedication and sacrifice to be the best but without losing the focus of human compassion is what this is all about.  Let's look into the eyes of others, and help those who are struggling. Let's help others up off the field and get them back on their feet.  We always need to strive to be our best, but we don't have to be our best at the cost of others.  Let's be a positive example for the generations that will follow us and teach them compassion, sportsmanship, and love.  Let's pass on the hope that goodness always wins.