On day 1 of the Olympics we watched a 38yr-old cyclist come out of retirement and win the gold medal in London. That’s Olympic spirit. But there was Olympic spirit in every other competitor in that race, and in every contest in the 2012 Olympics. Truth be told, every aspiring Olympian has it. At some level, everyone has it. While only a very small fraction of the world’s 7 billion people have the athletic skills and abilities to compete at this level, each and every person spends a lifetime improving him/herself, thus the world around all of us. Olympians just do it in high fashion for the world to see.
We’re reminded of Olympic spirit every 4 (now 2) years. I liken this spirit or competitive drive to gumption, a term I learned long ago from my father, a small business owner for half his life. Terms like grit, guts, courage, desire, initiative, fire-in-the-belly, and yes, spirit are synonymous. It’s not something one learns as a spectator through reading, hearing, or even observing. It’s behavioral, thus learned by doing. How and why does one become ambitious? The old saying about necessity as the mother of invention can be adapted to also produce spirit or gumption.
Until recently I received a regular paycheck throughout my 40yr career. Looking back, I realize how that sometimes had a dampening effect on gumption, especially in larger organizations. Now without a regular paycheck, I see first-hand what countless other small business owners experience. Their days are like continuous Olympic events, only less evident. They know there are no guarantees in business. Each day is a new challenge. Competition, the economy, and other factors keep the business owner ever vigilant. With eyes on many things, there is little time for clock-watching as a business owner.
Gumption, like spirit, comes from within. It is self-created/inflicted and self-directed. Yet it is largely selfless. Someone who is driven in this way rarely seeks his/her own personal gain. Rather, it is the mission, the enterprise, or the country (for the Olympian) that is the larger purpose. So gumption is not to be confused with self-serving behavior. While some business leaders are markedly egotistical, the vast majority are not. Through great sacrifice, my dad provided for his family, quietly and deliberately. The personal sacrifices that Olympic athletes make are not much different. They just typically happen earlier in life.
Please enjoy these 2012 Olympic games. It’s our every 2yr reminder that demonstrates the human spirit in athleticism at its very best. Since it’s competitive, we witness both the thrill of victory AND the agony of defeat. The Olympics teach us you can’t win if you don’t play. Always remember that it’s the playing that matters most. It takes spirit and gumption to play in any life endeavor. So play, and play with gumption. Life is not a spectator sport.
