Courage and Conviction

Olympic games have given us a rich respository of people with steel like courage and conviction. Bikila’s barefoot running and winning gold, Zatopek’s earning the title of ‘The Czech Locomotive’, Dhyan Chand’s magical hold on the hockey ball, Fanny becoming popular as ‘The Flying Housewife’ at 30 – all of them demonstrated their rock-solid conviction and courage. In the recent Beijing Olympic too, Michael Phelps became the highest individual gold takers in the history of Olympic games. Abhinav also wrote history for India by winning the first ever individual gold. New stories of courage and conviction are being written in our every day life too.

Bethany Hamilton at 13 was attacked by a shark while surfing, but within 6 months returned to competitive surfing with one arm. Ray Kroc at 52 lost his gall bladder and thyroid gland and suffered from diabetes. Yet, he went on to become the founder of McDonald’s. Ben Hogan was nearly killed in an auto accident that crushed his legs, but just after 16 months he won US Open Golf. It is rightly said, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

I believe it’s all in the mind. As you think, so you become. The only limitations we have are those put by our own minds. According to scientists, the bumblebee’s body is too heavy and its wing span too small. Aerodynamically, the bumblebee cannot fly. But the bumblebee doesn’t know that and it keeps flying.