If you live on the bleeding edge of competition like most Olympic athletes must, you need to be solid strong inside and out. The weight of expectations, from your own self as well as world around you, can peg you to the ground. At some point in life, we all need to fight our inner demons and defeat them. We need to come out victorious and prove to the world who we really are, how strong we really can be. We need to quiet those voices inside our own heads and those on outside. Michael Phelps is no different.
As of today, Phelps has participated in 4 Olympics and has a tally of 27 Medals in all. No mean feat by any chance and it sure comes with grit, much training and incessant strength. Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympics athlete of all times and the biggest swimming champion the world has ever seen. Phelps is a true American hero.
But it has not come without pain and struggle. Like all of us he has had to battle his share of problems. Alcoholism, broken relationships, loosing to competitors and inner demons. He has had his share of bad media glare, criticism and naysayers. But he has overcome them and has proven himself to be stronger than his demons. An that is the only thing which matters in the end.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it.
Le’s face it, we all have fears, insecurities and negativity inside us. But if you do not face them or acknowledge their presence, you will never be free of them. What you need to do is recognize them and overcome them – with courage, strength and right guidance. This is the only way to excel, to win and to succeed in anything we do in life, be it sports, work or relationships.
This moment below with Phelps beating Chad le Clos in 200m Butterfly finals at Rio 2016 defines it all.
live the journey 