The Daily Inspired

In the words of Nike:

From Lance Armstrong on his bike, to a six-year-old in China learning martial arts, movement is the universal language that connects us all. It’s a language of beauty, drama, tragedy and triumph. And the road to athletic greatness is not marked by perfection, but the ability to constantly overcome adversity and failure.

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. It’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at. Everybody gets knocked down, how quick are you going to get up?”

Apply this your life. See what happens!

I’ve been playing sports for about 20 years now and one of the things I enjoy seeing most is opponents playing their hardest yet still respecting each other. That’s what athletics is about. It’s not about getting the win at all costs. It’s not about injuring your opponent so they can’t play as well. It’s not about pushing them down or not helping them get up. True athletics is athletes competing at their highest level with respect for each other and the game.

This video shows what it’s all about. These girls play their hardest yet still respect their opponent. Watch how these softball players give a girl her last home run of her senior year in college…

So we found out we’re having a boy yesterday! I was much more excited than my wife was because I really wanted a boy! I keep thinking of all the sports I’m going to do with him, and lessons I want to teach him. I’m excited to be a Dad.

Speaking of sports, here is a great lesson that was taught by the fans at Fenway Park. At Disability Awareness Day the man singing the national anthem needed a little help…

Help someone out when they are down…

I have to disclose in this post that I am a sports fan. That said, and as you may have guessed, a lot of my inspiration comes from sports figures and videos! Hope you don’t mind.

This Nike commercial inspires me to push myself and try harder. To go farther and overcome that voice in my head that tells me to stop. If you can overcome your body telling you to stop. If your mind is stronger than your flesh you can do much much more in your life.

Now that you’ve seen it comment on some of the images that hit you personally. For me it was a runner on the ground exhausted, a baby taking its first steps, and the rocket exploding in its launch.

In my last post I talked about turning failures into success. One man who has done that and more is Lance Armstrong.

You’ve heard a lot about him, but did you know:
-He has survived testicular cancer, a tumor that metastasized to his brain and lungs in 1996.
-His cancer treatments included brain and testicular surgery and extensive chemotherapy, and his prognosis was originally poor.
-He was give a 40% chance of surviving…

After Overcoming Cancer:
-He is the only person to win 7 Tour de France(4 others have won 5 Tours)
-He has been awarded: the ABC Athlete of the Year, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, the ESPN’s ESPY Award, among other awards.

If he can overcome that, what can you overcome in your life?