Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.
-Joann Wolfgang Von Goethe
I am sad today to know that the 2012 London Games are coming to a close. Among the things that I will miss about getting to watch Olympic coverage through out the day (which, might I add, proved to be especially motivating to me for my mid-day treadmill runs), will be the boldness that envelops the atmosphere of Olympic competition. The Olympic athletes in 2012 that I most admire aren’t necessarily the ones who won gold. Rather, I have been most moved by the athletes bold enough to compete with all of their heart, no matter how the circumstances of how their event unfolded. For some, the simple journey of getting to London took more guts and courage and years of training, sacrifice and commitment that I can possibly comprehend. You cannot be a great athlete, a world-class athlete, without being bold.
Take the risk. Believe in the dream.
It takes boldness to decide to dream. It takes courage to press onward into the unknowns of competition and training, holding onto a dream to be the best in the world. In truth, it takes boldness to simply be true enough to oneself that pursuit of a grand dream such as Olympic competition becomes a calling. So too does it take courage to press onward to live the lives of health, happiness and purpose that we are meant for; we must sail out of the harbors of comfort where we hide and play it safe.
We are all called to greatness, to lives filled with wonder, joy and purpose. Are you bold enough to get uncomfortable and to actually pursue the life that you are scared, yet craving, to live? The only thing holding you back in life is you and your willingness to be bold enough to take a risk to do exactly that which you really want to do.
Be bold, sail out into life and see the waters that are yet unseen to you. Push your fears aside; you will never find yourself disappointed with boldness at your side. Even if the outcome of your bold actions is different than your expectations, if you have fostered courage within your heart in the process, then you will, as Von Goethe said, have “genius and power and magic” in you as a result. The worst case scenario that accompanies boldness is that you will grow in courage, genius, power and magic in the way you live. As far as I’m concerned, that’s an amazing return on investment.
Grow in boldness this week; share your dreams out-loud with someone and be bold enough to take ownership of the type of person that you really want to be. The more bold you are, the more fortunate you will become. It’s worth the risk, trust me.
Fortune befriends the bold. -John Dryden