Daily Lesson from Life 07 September 2008

No newspaper headlines for me today since I am in Beijing and the ParaOlympic Game just opened on 6 September 2008!

I do not normally get to watch handicapped athletes compete so the few glimpses I caught last night of the opening and the clips today hits me with awe and inspiration!

The ballerina that danced in the opening ceremony lost her leg in the recent Beichuan earthquake. She was smiling so brightly and moved so gracefully. I truly admired her courage and resolve. She was interviewed on TV and I can sensed the determination to overcome this misfortune and not allow it to slow her down in her love and passion for dancing! I wish her all the best.

Watching some of the handicapped swimmers doing butterfly in the pool is just awesome! The handicapped basketballers and how hard they trained just reminded me not to use any excuses for skipping or slacking on my own training for the marathon. They simply just have tremendous perseverance and focus on building their strengths and developing their skills through humanly impossibly hard training!

Lessons for me:

1. admire and applaud the handicapped athletes;
2. look up to them to learn the never-say-die and the I-love-what-I-do attitudes;
3. learn to be not patronizing or pity the handicapped folks. They don't need that. They need respect and acknowledgement that they are our fellow human race!;
4. do not create excuses for any slackening as they don't!

I salute the handicapped athletes and that little girl who faced adversity with passion and determination.

These are attitudes and behaviors that leaders can learn from!!