Closing Ceremonies

This will be my last “Olympic Related” post but I wanted to take some time before putting it together. What an incredible end to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. The success of our Canadian Olympians was record breaking in more ways then one. It was if the Games gave us, as Canadians, a license to cheer and be proud for living North of the 49th. We likely all have different moments that stand out to us. A few of the moments that will forever stand out with me are as follows:

• Being in the Athletes Village the day that Nodar Kumaritashvili from the Georgian team passed away.
• The inspiring story of Alex Bilodeau and his brother and Alex winning our countries FIRST Gold Medal on Canadian soil at Cypress.
• Being in the Athletes and Whistler Village for several Medal Ceremonies and listening as THOUSANDS sang out National Anthem proudly.
• Watching the Men’s Hockey team conquer all odds to beat Russia in the Quarter Final to go onto win the GOLD Medal in Overtime against the USA.

A picture from the Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver here shows as a performer from Canada begins the evening by making light of the cauldron that didn't work for the Opening Ceremonies...

I also especially enjoyed the Closing Ceremonies of the Games. I thought that they were well done they celebrated the positive and, pardon the pun golden moments that stimulated countries and sports enthusiasts around the world. Those who played a part in the planning of the production I thought did such a great job as we made a few jabs at the things that make us Canadian as we communicated to the world around us that we are indeed aware of our idiosyncrasies that makes us Canadian and we are okay with that, “Eh”…

It truly is an INCREDIBLE to be a part of a moment that many would say was the reason they had been placed on the Earth for. Many athletes will reference this moment for the remainder of their lives as a “dream come true”. We’ve all heard the question posed either out of sarcasm or genuine innocence, “what is the purpose of life?”. The best answer I have received yet to date is that the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose. So, what does that look like?

I recently watched a few episodes of a show on TV called “The Buried Life” where these four guys travel around North America trying to accomplish a list of 1oo things they want to complete before they die (http://theburiedlife.com/thelist/). What I think is so great about this show is that on every episode they try and help make other peoples dreams come true too. To me this is an INCREDIBLE example of a purpose filled life. I think sometimes when we think about OUR purpose we forget that it doesn’t have to be limited to just enabling ourselves; in fact, maybe a true feeling of accomplishment comes from helping enable someone else in the process.

An Athlete devotes him or herself to accomplishing something that too many will just be a dream but they refuse for it to be anything less then their reality. Thus when flags are lowered, fames go out and it’s time to close what’s been a fantastic Olympic Games then can reflect with thoughts of accomplishment and success. I think we can all learn something from this, if we lived each and every single day in the light shed by the invaluable truth that we can make our dreams come true by taking the steps necessary to enable them, I wonder how much happier in our last years we would be? Now just like an athlete in order to make our dreams a reality it might come with a measure of cost which could include many things; however, that’s what gives them their value.