Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has famous landmarks that attract attention to their special country. The beaches of Copacabana, the famous statue of “Christ the Redeemer” watching over the city and the Amazon Jungle are among the many spectacular wonders to be seen in Brazil. Now, Brazil has an even more spectacular attraction to behold under their eyes, the eyes of approximately 500,000 foreign travelers, and an average of 30 million expected to be watching in this summer’s Olympics, hosted by Brazil.
With the kick off to start the Olympics a few days early, the USA Women’s National Soccer Team competed against the New Zealand National Team, with the USA coming away with a win. The US would continue to prove their influence in the 2016 Olympic games the following Saturday, after the Friday night opening ceremonies. The United States is ranked third so far after the Saturday night games came to a completion. One gold medal was presented to Virginia Thrasher in the air rifle event, while three silver medals were awarded in swimming and archery. Not only were there medals awarded, but several American teams passed qualifying rounds to lead them closer to the final matches, and closer to the Gold Medals the competitors have their eyes set towards.
Throughout the next few weeks, the US team and other competing countries will be living their dreams, to compete towards their end goal of the gold medal for their country. They have worked their entire lives to live in this moment. Some dreams will only become partially true, some dreams will become full reality, while some dreams were crushed in Olympic trials or in the first competition of their Olympic career. In most cases, those who get their dreams cut short will continue to peruse their dream in four years for the next Olympics.
We all may not have an Olympic gold medal dream, but we all have dreams. Each individual dream is different based on character, but dreams of splendor they are. The Olympics not only show us that 11,489 athletes are living their dreams. It also shows us that with hard work and dedication, anyone’s dreams can become reality. Yes, the whole world watches Olympic athletes both fail and succeed, but they are people just like you and me.
Don’t let your dreams die because there is a chance of failure! One of my favorite quotes explains the human presence of fear:
“The only place fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist.”
Fear of the unknown is a huge obstacle humans put through their minds, and in some cases, it inhibits their ability to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Don’t let the fear bind you to a less than extraordinary life. Live and aspire towards your dreams. Cheer on the USA, or whichever country suits your fancy, as they compete towards their dreams becoming a reality this 2016 in Brazil. Go team USA!
