Let them be mad, while you be great- What was reaffirmed for me after watching the women's 400m race
I, like many people, watched the women's 400m track meet to see if Allyson Felix would win the gold. We all know how that turned out. Initially, I like many people couldn't believe what we saw, and knowing nothing of the rules (or that this wasn't an Olympics first) called foul when Shaunae Miller dove across the finish line. We assumed (incorrectly) that this act had to surely be against the rules, and that Felix would be awarded the gold after all. That didn't happen.
People are STILL mad. I say let them be mad, while Shaunae Miller is STILL going down in the record books as the best in the world in that event for the 2016 Olympics.
What this race did for me was to cause me to think, what would I have done in this situation. Would I have been satisfied with playing by the "rules" (of public opinion) and be satisfied with bringing home the silver, knowing that in that last critical second I did NOT do all that I could to bring home the gold, or would I also have taken the dive. I am honest enough to say, I would have dove, swam, done a Biles if needed to cross that finish line first!
Too often, people blindly follow established rules, not because they agree with them but because they are afraid to step outside the box or question them. Yes there are times when this should be discouraged, but how often do we blindly follow rules, even when we know they should be challenged or hold us back from achieving our personal greatness?
When I was younger, I was taught the phrase "scared money, don't make money", basically this boils down to if you allow your fear or discomfort to hinder you from taking risks, you may miss out on greater rewards in the long term. Shaunae Miller did just that, she took a risk, and now she is the woman who is going down as the top woman in the world in the 400m.
Thank you Shaunae for the reaffirmation. Going forward I will be willing to not so rigidly "follow the rules", it could be the difference between being THE best and ONE OF the best. Or, as one of my other favorite sayings go, I will Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!