For the last week and a half, my wife and I have spent a lot of time watching the 2010 Winter Olympics currently going on in Vancouver, BC. While there have been some great competitions, one of the more enjoyable parts of watching has been the interviews and stories done on some of the medal winners and personalities of this year’s Olympics.
Two stories in particular were very inspiring and are great examples of how important belief is in being successful. One story was on Norwegian downhill skier Aksel Lund Svindal who 3 years ago had a horrific skiing accident during a downhill course at the Golden Eagle jump in Beaver Creek, Colorado. As a result, he was hospitalized for weeks recuperating from extensive facial, back, and neck injuries.
While some people after such an accident would call it a career or find it too difficult mentally to compete, he told the interviewer he believed in himself and his abilities and resumed training soon after being released from the hospital.
Last week, he beat out the US champion and favored-winner, Bode Miller, to win Gold for Norway.
It was his skills and talent which won him the gold medal but it was his belief in himself which got him there.
The same can be easily said for Skeleton gold medal winner Jon Montgomery of Canada. Even though his story differs from Aksel’s, the power of belief is very evident in how he won the gold. During an interview after winning the gold medal, he talked about how he set a goal on the day in 2003 when he learned the 2010 Olympics were being held in his native Canada. That goal was he would be competing there for his beloved country.
He also gave one of the most inspiring quotes I have ever read during the same interview:
“I believe you get out of life what you put into it. If you can find something that you are passionate about, something that makes you feel alive, you have to pursue it with everything you have.”
That is the power of belief.
How has the power of belief changed your life? Has it helped you accomplish things which you once thought was impossible? Let me and everyone else know in the Comments below. Thanks!
