What Do You Have That's Worth Fighting For?

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Original Publication Date:
February 2010

3. Stop going through the motions

Most of us take life for granted. We just do. It's hard to appreciate each new day that has been given to us. It's hard to live each day from start to finish with guts and glory. We tippy-toe through it or dance around it. We go through the motions. We don't want to make waves. Mostly, we don't push our envelope to the max in order to get maximum mileage from the day. We allow life to run us instead of us running life. Get fired up about life and especially about your life. The world needs all the conscious among us ignited and alive. In order for the world to thrive, we, as individuals, must thrive. It's your time to thrive.

4. Don't waste your energy where it matters the least

Every single human being ever created has their very own purpose for being. Many of us are squandering away this opportunity. Your time is valuable because there is only a finite amount you have access to in this lifetime. Where you put your energy and with whom you share it can have a huge bearing on the quality of your life. Are you wasting your energy on people who don't have a positive impact on your life? Are you wasting your time on goals that are misguided or have a very low probability of being fulfilled? It's like trying to audition to be the next American Idol and you can't sing. That audition should be for those folks who actually can carry a tune and just happen to need some help and exposure. Anyone wasting their energy off in a direction like that is choosing the wrong fight. Put all your energy in a place where you have an actual shot of succeeding. Hone those skills that are yours and yours alone. Perfect and polish them until they shine brightly for the entire world to see. Don't try to be something or someone you're not. You can be a dreamer, but a dreamer with a dream that is doable and within reach.

5. Lessons learned at the highest level

The XXI Winter Olympics is taking place this month in Vancouver B.C. Athletes train and sacrifice for years on end and are among the best of the best in the world at their given sport. Winter sports events are especially difficult and dangerous given the speeds and heights and skills and requirements the athletes are faced with to master, but that doesn't stop them. You can think of it as part magic, part tragic. Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, had fought to realize his dream of making it to Vancouver, but crashed during a final training run on the Whistler track coming out of turn 16, traveling 90 mph right before the games began. His death highlighted the realities and risks that exist at this high level of competition and blanketed a veil of sadness over the Opening Ceremonies during what was supposed to be a joyous occasion. The positive take-away from such a horrific disaster is the 21-year old died doing what was 'worth it' to him. As tragic as the accident was, Nodar made a lasting impact on the sport of Luge and touched many lives during his all-too short stay on earth.

Then, there's short-track skating super-star and all-around super human being Apolo Anton-Ohno. This is his third Olympics, and he's poised to be the most decorated American Winter Olympian of all-time. As we go to press, he's just won the silver medal, in what turned out to be a crazy 1500m final, tying Bonnie Blair with a chance to break her record with three races to go. Apolo is a fighter at whatever he sets his mind to achieving. In addition to being at the top of his game in skating, he also stepped out of his comfort zone in 2007 and won the Mirror Ball trophy with partner Julianne Hough on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. He epitomizes the meaning of having something in life to fight for. Yes, he wins, but it's who he is while he's going after the win that makes him such a standout guy. He fights the fights important to him with honor and dignity. When his career in skating is over, Apolo will take his fighting spirit on with him into the next leg of his journey. These athletes in these Olympic Games are an elite group of rare individuals. While the majority will never stand atop a podium, hear their national anthem, or get a gold, silver, or bronze medallion draped around their neck, they are all true champions. There are lessons to be learned from each and every story. The struggles of a Johnny Weir or a Shaun White or a J.R. Celski all serve to motivate. The redemption of a Bode Miller or a Hannah Kearney or a Lindsey Jacobellis all serve to inspire. They each came to fulfill a dream or goal or desire within themselves. They each came with winning in mind, but, more importantly, to fight their good fight, one, that to them, is worth fighting. This group called Olympians is a great source of personal power and inspiration. We can apply what has worked in their lives to our own. We can also use their disappointments and failures as a way of working through those we've experienced ourselves.

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