The Olympic Spirit February 9, 2010
Posted by Blake Sunshine in Just for fun, millennials at work, sports.Tags: apolo ohno, millennials at work, olympics, speed skating, sports, vancouver 2010
3 comments
Ever since my parents took me to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, I’ve been obsessed with everything Olympic. I especially love everything that the Olympic movement stands for, things like:
- Education and development through sport
- Respect and friendship among athletes
- Peace between nations
And I really, really, really love Apolo Ohno too…
I love his amazing story of Olympic spirit. All day every day I hear stories of people who became gurus over night, without putting in any work, but according to the Seattle Times, “Ohno’s march to Olympics No. 3 has been a carefully orchestrated, borderline-obsessive regimen — a six-month, five-stage, complete lifestyle overhaul, overseen by his personal trainer.”
I love Ohno’s attitude toward discipline and hard work, and I truly believe that he is one of the best in the world for a reason. And unlike other people, who rush to get ahead without working hard, Ohno says that he won’t even remember winning the medals. ”When I’m done skating, I guarantee you that I will not look back and remember standing on the podium,” said Ohno. “I’m going to remember these days — being with the team. Training alone, in my basement. Training when everybody else is sleeping. Doing things that nobody else is doing. Digging down. Seeing what kind of character I truly have.”
Even if he doesn’t remember the podium, I will.
USA! USA!
Millennials don’t have to be perfect January 5, 2010
Posted by Blake Sunshine in millennials, millennials at work, sports.Tags: longhorn football, longhorns, millennials, millennials perfect, sergio kindle, sports
3 comments
When I first graduated from college I got bit (seriously hard) by the perfection bug. I had to get the perfect job and basically be perfect in every aspect of my life.
I wrote blogs posts about how Millennials needed to work harder and prove themselves every day at work. Even though I never felt like I had high expectations, I can tell now that I was trying too hard to be perfect.
And as I get ready to go to Pasadena for the BCS National Championship game (I am sooo freaking excited to watch the Horns win!) I can’t help but think that I’m not the only Millennial who feels like they have to be perfect all the time. Like Colt McCoy. Talk about feeling the pressure! But I’m starting to realize that trying to be perfect all the time is the worst idea in the entire world.
Just ask Sergio Kindle.
This picture doesn't do him justice, he is HUGE!
Kindle is the exact opposite of a “perfect” Millennial and when his high school football coach Bobby Estes was asked about him he said, “Is he Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow citing Scripture? No.”
But what good would trying to be perfect like Tim Tebow really do for Kindle? I like the fact that Kindle has some bad incidents on his record. Isn’t it better to not be perfect and to make some (and learn from) mistakes? I admire players like Tebow for all they do to help other, but their desire to be perfect kills me. Millennials don’t have to be perfect to be great. In fact, “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor,” according to Anne Lamott the author of my favorite book, Bird by Bird.
And I love what Kindle said when he was asked about trying to be perfect, “I don’t want to make people believe anything. I don’t want to tell them to believe anything. They’re just going to have watch and see by my actions.”
And I’m sure his actions won’t be perfect in the future either, but who really cares if they aren’t?
