Musings of Olympic Dreams at ALTIS
Have you ever had an impossible dream? Did you think that the gap between you and others was too big to close? These past few weeks at ALTIS I learned from more than a hundred people that impossible dreams don’t exist and that gaps only exist to be closed. We are all much closer to our dreams than we might think.
Consider the perspective that your nature is the manifestation of countless iterations that have taken place over the course of billions of years. What’s more, humankind has taken these strides together and in terms of our DNA, one person is (on average) 99.5% similar to anyone else on the planet. From this point of view, it’s easy to see that you might have a lot in common with those people whom you admire so much.
Therefore, you should not give up on your impossible dream because it could be much closer than you think. It may be more difficult for some compared to others but no one starts with nothing. While greatness can bloom from modest beginnings, each athlete at ALTIS has come to know that there is something special inside that inspires an ambitious dream. We should all be so lucky to dream this big.
What do you desire?
What would you do if money were no object? What is the thing you really enjoy doing? When you find that thing that you want with every ounce of your being, be brave enough to go after it. You will find people like you who want to help. They will be inspired by your passion and together you can really pursue something authentic. If you can see this, feel it, and commit fully to the execution plan, all that is left for you to do is to trust your resolve and travel through time toward the realization of your goal.
Remember, self-fulfilling prophecies can also work to your advantage. So stack the deck in your favour, there is nothing wrong with planning for success. ALTIS has done an incredible job of fostering a community of excellence, the level of commitment to supporting the athlete resolve is commendable and it is a product of people coming together on a shared passion. Therefore it’s so important to ask this question: What do I desire?
Dreams are contagious.
I was fortunate enough to get to know five ALTIS athletes more intimately: Tori Peña, Muna Lee, Jeremy Dodson, Lacey Henderson and Akeem Haynes. Tori, you are grace at its highest height. Muna, you are poetry in motion. Jeremy, you are brilliance at breath taking speed. Lacey, you are the greatest form of determination. Akeem, your quiet, thoughtful intent behind impossible speed humbles me. I want to thank each of you for sharing your stories, your dreams are contagious.
The Art of Doing Nothing.
The coaches and athletes at ALTIS both reminded me that sometimes during the journey it’s important to pause and observe the process underway. Often times the best answer to the most complex problem is simply: It depends. This answer has a funny way of pointing out the fact that you haven’t properly considered your question, or that you might have created a problem that doesn’t exist. There is wisdom in doing nothing.
Pay it forward.
Share the secrets of your success. Through this approach, you are planting the seeds of a forest that you may never see. Pay it forward. Be a good ancestor to the future. This is a wonderful legacy to leave behind. The coaches at ALTIS are among the most selfless people I have met and this has carried over to the athletes as well. There is true camaraderie in this crew from which tomorrow’s leaders are sure to come.
Mentors.
The most insightful mentors that I have known, taught me not with words but with action. These last few weeks have been a very special life experience in this regard. I want to say thank-you to some of the people who have inspired me to be a better student of life. To Stuart McMillan, Dan Pfaff, John Godina and all the coaches at ALTIS, thank-you.
Finally, to all of the athletes pursuing excellence against all odds, thank-you. I dream bigger now because of you.
