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The Olympics have been inspiring this year.  I personally love the opportunity to see that we can be bigger than our nationalism and our politics, as we are drawn into the drama and determination of the athletes to do their personal best. The lessons for each of us are huge, which may be why we are attracted to these heroes.

Paul Hamm is the current World Champion in the men’s gymnastics all-around and he executed his first three events with ease and grace.  Then came the vault and while his air time was very good, his landing was a disaster.  As he toppled off the mat and into the judges’ table, his score plummeted to 12th place and his hopes for Olympic Gold seemed dashed.  At that point Hamm had a choice.  How to respond to the current moment which appeared to send the message that all his training, dedication, talent and dreams were just not good enough. 

In the Bible we are told, “I place in your mouth a blessing and a curse, choose.”  Hamm could choose to curse his fate, dwell in the moment of defeat or choose to be fully present, not giving his energy away to the past in  self-condemnation, but to the current event. 

I think this is one of the hardest lessons for us.  We have a tendency to think our lives are over because of some perceived mistake. To judge ourselves, and then recreate it simply because we are not present, but in the “should, would and could have’s.” Newsweek states “Hamm plummeted to 12th place–and into ‘a depression,’ as he realized his gold-medal chances appeared doomed. But just as quickly he banished all negative thoughts and seized on a glimmer of hope for a bronze. ‘I decided to go after it, to have the best performance of my life on the last two events, . . .I’m the world champion and I didn’t want to go out in 12th place.”

Right there is what makes him a hero to me.  Not that he went on to win the gold medal, but in the moment of apparent defeat, he decided to shake off the despair and committed himself to do his personal best. He had to force his mind to focus on the current moment and not go down that road of self-blame or imagine what was being said about him by the crowd, other athletes, the media and in homes around the world.  He chose a blessing, not a curse. 

Paul Hamm excelled in his next two events. He continued to have to stay present to the current moment and not dwell in the past or the hope of the future.  He didn’t even know he had won the gold, until he was told by his coach that he was an Olympic champion. 

The value for us is to be willing to bring this power of present attention into our lives in each moment.  We must be willing to shake off the past and, while we have dreams to draw us forward, we cannot live in the future either.  We must be present to our personal best in the current moment.  I have found meditation has trained my mind to release past regret and future worry, so I can be here now.  I encourage each of you to notice when you are present to the wonder and holiness of the present moment, and when you are lost in thought of the past and future. Then remember to choose again. 

From my heart to yours, Rev. Kris

 

KRIS COLLINS is the minister at the East San Gabriel Valley Church––Science of Mind • 5546 N. Citrus Ave., Covina, CA  •  626-332-6838 • Sunday Celebration Service: 11am / Pre-Service Meditation: 10:30am