The Olympics are such a special time.

It’s thrilling to watch people who’ve trained a lifetime for this one moment you’re viewing, as they not only compete against the best and toughest from around the world but also against themselves and any self-doubt or sabotage that lurks inside.

I love to watch those who are extraordinary do their absolute finest, don’t you? I’m incredibly touched every time I’m given the opportunity to witness someone dare to step away from the mundane and shine in the light of their own innate talent and skill.

It takes amazing vulnerability and guts to truly standout in life, to say I’m me and this is what I’m good at and then give it all you’ve got in front of the entire planet. If there’s any truer drama (outside real life and death struggles) in the world, I either haven’t seen it or I haven’t had the understanding to recognize it.

That said, I have to admit my take on this or any competition is a little different from most sports enthusiasts.

You see, for me, it’s not about who wins their place on a podium or gets their picture on the front of a Wheaties box. It’s not who gets the endorsement deals or a lifetime of recognition and accolades . . . it’s about the person who truly lives in the moment of that day, that race, that second and adores every portion of the experience.

Winners are those who participate in events—or any aspect of life—because that’s who they are and that’s what they love to do and that’s what makes them feel most truly alive.

Real winners may not make it as far as the trials, much less the actual Olympics. We may not remember them or ever know their names.

But that’s okay; they don’t really need us or our adoration.

The real winners in life are those who are truly alive in this and every moment of their lives. They are the people who know who they are—and are true to themselves—throughout their lives.

Even if no one else is watching.

HOW ABOUT YOU, WHEN DO YOU FEEL MOST TRULY ALIVE? HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN SOMEONE WHO WAS CONSISTENTLY HIS OR HERSELF? A FREE COPY OF MY DEBUT NOVEL, MRS. GOODFELLER WILL BE RANDOMLY AWARDED TO ONE PERSON WHO LEAVES A COMMENT BELOW BEFORE THE NEXT WRITERSPACE BLOG IS POSTED.

www.jayciecash.com

Jaycie Cash blogs on a regular basis for Writerspace.com. Her debut novel, MRS. GOODFELLER, is available through most major e-Book outlets, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She’d love for you to like her Facebook Author page.