The Power of Staying Inspired by Excellence

The 2016 Olympics have me thinking about the notion of excellence. As I watch so many of these young athletes deliver what might likely be the performance of their lifetimes, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of awe and admiration toward the level of grit that these individuals have to call in. I can’t help but think about the one thing that often holds us all back from achieving our own goals and dreams – fomo. Granted, we all want to go on that long-awaited vacation, take that day off, work one day less, and so on. But what would happen if we kicked our fomo to the curb and took on our goals with the gusto of an Olympic athlete? What if we really embraced the word sacrifice for the sake of our big picture?

I am especially proud of all the Latina athletes representing our cultures and communities with such grace and skill. It’s not only their remarkable physical capacities that astound me, but the mental, and possibly even spiritual places that these young women must tap into for the sake of giving it their all. Look at 19-year old Anita Alvarez, a synchronized swimmer making her Olympic debut who started swimming when she was just five years old. Then there’s Laurie Hernandez, the new darling of the gymnastics world who finished second a three-time all around the world champion, but nonetheless secured her spot as the first Latina gymnastic Olympian since 1984. And Melissa Gonzalez, the midfield hockey player for Team USA, who has made over 150 appearances; Diana Taurasi, the women’s basketball player who was one of the WNBA’s Top 15 Players of All Time in 2011; and Angelica Delgado, the first-generation Cuban judo fighter who began training when she was just nine years old.

As I watch these young women give it their all in Rio, I am inspired by their sense of vision, their drive and their commitment to stay the course. To which I have to ask, what do YOU want to do that’s worth all the hard work, discipline and dedication you can muster?

As we salute these remarkable women, I also invite you to join another remarkable woman at our next webinar, “From Micro to Millions,” with Nell Merlino on Thursday, August 25th at 10 am PST / 1pm EST.

Nell created Take Our Daughters to Work Day, founded Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and launched Make Mine a Million-Dollar Business. She is the author of “Stepping Out of Line: Lessons for Women Who Want it Their Way in Life, in Love, and at Work,” a book for women to speak up in their work and life to get ahead. Nell has seen so many women go from zero to a million dollars in revenue, and shows us all how. Don’t miss this one, and REGISTER NOW!