One Moment Engraved in Eternity

That solitary, soul-bearing moment, that refers to you as the world champion — the peak of human?athleticism at that material time, and through eternity. But what mentality propels you to achieve at your best?

This enigmatic emotion was perfectly and profoundly expressed in Whitney Houston's 1988 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies song "One Moment in Time." The song, written by John Bettis and Albert Hammond, refers to the time when an athlete reaches the pinnacle of performance, is in the spotlight, and is reaching beyond belief. The song expresses the uttermost confidence in oneself in the face of self-doubt, with a single goal in mind: "To Win!" Whitney makes a request

“Give me one moment in time,?

When I'm more than I thought I could be

When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away

And the answers are all up to me! "

Unlike Olympic athletes though, many of us might never reach the peak of our profession and have the world come to a halt in our honour and in support of our country's flag. We might never know what it's like to be immortalised in the annals of history as having accomplished a once-in-a-lifetime, unbeatable achievement that will resonate forever in the archives of eternity. She took it to the most powerful bridge ever (my opinion):

“You are a?winner for a lifetime.

If you seize that one moment in?time,

Make it shine."

?The?song streams possessing a?desire for something so strongly,?that it would be worth the agony, burden, effort, and the repudiation of anything less than achievement.?Desiring something,?with such intensity as?to?entirely tune?out everything else,?is a powerful state of mind to be in and, honestly, is a realm beyond mundane motivation.

To be honest, I'm not sure I've ever desired something that much.

As the Olympics are a two-sided coin, with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, even in the face of not mounting the medals podium, the reward still typically outweighs the risks?—and not just for the athlete, but all involved?as well. The experience gained organising and?participating is usually life-changing, no matter the competition outcomes.

We could talk about the commitment, the consistency, and the diligence of the gains of practice. But, at the core of such extraordinary desire and unfettered resolve, breakthroughs in the human endeavour are formed. It is littered with the unwavering conviction that should any of us reach the point of single-minded singularity in demanding:

"I've lived to be the very best,??

I want it all, no time for less.

I've laid the plans, now lay the plans,

Here in my hands”

Such a state is what propels humanity to the moon and back, provides the impetus to attempt to solve some of the most pressing issues of our day, like climate change and its effects, and to dive into the depths of the deep oceans, exploring its magnificent mysteries, for life yet unknown. The result of this cast-iron consciousness:

"One moment in time.??

when I'm racing with destiny…”

Then, in that one moment of time,

I will feel eternity."

Like Whitney, it will be our own turn to mount the mic, reach deep, and sing high, the words of this immortal song at our own individual crossroads. If, with fine-combed focus, firm faith, and concrete commitment to achieve the summit – We will! ??

Ultimately, many of us may never feel eternity in each of our individual moments, but if we work hard to live each moment with compassion, love, and acceptance of ourselves and others, we may experience the eternity of love, both here, and when the time comes for us to depart - stage left - of this side of eternity.