Lessons from the Olympian Gymnasts

No one is out to get you. You are allowed to choose your own beam, hoops, and rings of life, and leave the floor when it does not feel safe for you. 

 

Photo by Roman Yusupov on Unsplash

   Gymnastics are exercises that develop and display your physical agility and coordination. 

    In the Olympics 2024, we are seeing this sport more visibly because of Simone Biles' incredible achievements. 

    Additionally, as a Filipino, seeing Carlos Yulo win gold medals gives a wonderful sense of nationalistic feeling that not only impacts the sport, but breaks gender stereotypes coming from Hidilyn Diaz' win from weightlifting. 

    These barriers of gender stereotypes continually being broken is inspiring for me, and I hope that it gives you the safety and space for more self-expression to show who you really are.

  

Photo by Cade on Unsplash

    In all sports, they show and train both the mental and physical, control, balance and letting go, but I think the edge of gymnastics is how it's integrating art into the movements (Don't they just make the twists look so easy and graceful?!) 

And just like any sport, a lot of lessons are applied in real life from practicing it constantly.

At the end of the day, you are the gymnast on that floor displaying your physical agility and coordination. 

And the floor is the metaphor for life and Earth you walk on, while the beams, hoops, and rings are the experiences, opportunities, failures and tests that you must overcome. 

Photo by Drew Colins on Unsplash

    While you still breathe, you are the gymnast of your own life and you have infinite choices and movements to make on the floor. 

    Gymnasts don't become great by comparing their movements with others, rather by learning from them.

    It is crucial to begin with self-respect as you live through life, and complete accountability in the choices you make especially when you fall. 

    Often the most inspiring stories are those of radical vulnerability and honesty, true humility, and how you come back from adversities of life. 

    We all go through things we don't openly discuss, and you're not supposed to force these stories out of people, even the ones you truly love. Above all, choose respect. 

    If you're in the right mentality, there's no space to be made for anger, resentment, greed, envy, disgust, gossip, nor assumptions for other people. It rots the brain. 

    Negative feelings arise and are felt because it's part of life, but what will set you apart is how well you'll use that as lessons to become a better human being for yourself and for others.

    There's a cliche saying that I believe is still worth reinforcing: 

"Fall 7 times, stand up 8." 

I hope you keep your balance on the beam.

Don't forget to smile while you're at it,

Belle x