So, I've been watching the Olympics a lot in the last couple of weeks. Watching all of the athletes that devote themselves to their sports fills me with mixed emotions. I admire them for their singular devotion to their dreams and goals. The effort that it takes to become the best in the world at something is laudable. Yet at the same time, I feel profound sadness. I wonder what happens when they wake up the day after the gold medal match. It's over. The goal is accomplished. Now what? They can aim for the next Olympics. Or they can retire. But the fulfillment from winning a medal seems to fade. Some athletes don't even know where their gold medals from previous competitions are stored. It makes me sad because, in the end, they have invested their life in something that makes no real difference. There will be another Olympics, another dominant swimmer, another gymnastics team, another sprinter. The accomplishments of today will fade into the history books and eventually be surpassed by others. It seems to me that the only things that really matter are those that are eternal.
Admiration and sadness. Admiration for living a life of purpose. Sadness because the purpose seems to mean so little in the long run. It leaves me with two questions. Am I devoting my life to a purpose with such singular focus? And if so, is it something that will truly last?
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