For the last two weeks the world populace took a deep breath and celebrated one of life¡¯s greatest contests, the Olympic Games. Unless you were hiding under a rock, the energy of the world community was fixated on this auspicious event. From the moment the Olympic torch was lit at the opening ceremonies there was a sense of the world coming together, putting aside regional differences and embracing the ancient Spirit of the Olympics, a spirit of peaceful, friendly, and healthy competition. However, today, even though the Olympic Games are the world's largest pageant of athletic skill and friendly competitive spirit, they also display notions of nationalism, commerce and politics.
These two opposing elements of the Olympics represent the great meaning to each of us personally and to our society as a whole. In fact, an Olympic medal today represents the pinnacle of achievement, and the process by which it was achieved, not just for one individual, but for an entire sponsoring nation. In addition, for each athlete the power of a dream was soon to be realized, they were participants on the world stage. However, for the nations they represented, it would become a dream of power. This duality of power has become a struggle and one that often ends in condemnation.
In society, we tend to struggle with the same duality of power. As a collective, we place more emphasis on a dream of power, whereby we should encourage, inspire and support an individual¡¯s right to fulfill a dream. In so doing, we lay the foundation for our children to aspire to the journey rather than the end result. I give you the example of Kim Yu Na. For me, it was her journey, seventeen years, to become the best she could be that I found more intriguing than her medals. The support and encouragement she received throughout her growth as an athlete and person was the foundation that really tells us the story of what the power of a dream represents.
As a nation, we were disappointed in the end result of her Olympic finale, that dream of power, a gold medal. Yet it was the culmination of her journey, the power of a dream, and the unconditional love she had for the sport that the world will never forget. The power of a dream that drove her journey can be seen in the poise and grace with which she handled the results of this year¡¯s Olympics, ¡°I did all I wanted to do, like I wanted to do it!¡±
The Olympic Movement has always tried to develop and adapt to the changing world. Which sense of power pays tribute to the spirit of the Olympics as a positive force in humanity? As we look ahead to 2014, let us as a society try to emulate the positive power of a dream more than the negative aspects that a dream of power exudes