The Power of Suggestion
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From an inspirational sports perspective, last weekend
couldn’t be beat. The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, battled out another
brilliant Wimbledon final (with Serena
ultimately claiming this year’s championship). On the men’s side, Roger Federer
rose to his 15th Grand Slam title after a grueling competition
against Andy Roddick. And in cycling, the Tour de France kicked off in the
seaside principality of Monaco,
headlined by Lance Armstrong’s much anticipated comeback after three years in
retirement.
If you managed to catch any of this high level sporting
action in between 4th of July parades and backyard BBQ’s, you’d be
hard-pressed not to feel inspired. While I’m not a tennis fan during the
regular season, I can’t tear my eyes from the screen when it comes time to
watch the glory of Wimbledon. As for the Tour,
I’ll be locked on the television coverage for the next three weeks.
My fascination is not so much about the championship events
themselves, but rather viewing these top-ranked individuals play out their
dreams in the quest for ultimate victory, and the impetus they give me to reach
for my own stars. While most of us mere mortals are not blessed with the same
level of natural talent as Lance Armstrong, we are universally awed by his feats
of greatness. It’s the same phenomenon during events such as the Olympics or
the Boston Marathon
– we witness the passion of athletes with seemingly
superhuman skills and unwavering dedication, and we become more inspired to get
out and get active in our own lives.
So tune into the Tour over the next few weeks. And then,
when it’s time to turn off the TV, take a new step toward your own next goal –
whether that goal is to run a marathon, race your first triathlon or simply run
five minutes further than you ran yesterday.
– Holly Bennett