Lessons From Athletes

I have big respect for professional athletes. I'm a fan of sports, and since I am not fit to compete, I just enjoy watching them. There was a time that I even wrote for the SEA Games. I had absolutely no idea about my assigned sport (Table Tennis), but I watched and read up a lot about it. "Fake it till you make it", and indeed, it is one of the most unforgettable writing stint in my life! 

In support of all our athletes competing at the Rio Olympics, here's the top five life lessons we can get from their stories:

1) Practice makes perfect. I am a firm believer that everyday training and exercise make a man better than someone with just natural skills. You can also be good (or even better) with hard work and dedication. And also, olympians are still coachable!

2) More than physical, competing is also a whole lot of mental conditioning. Have a healthy mindset, discipline comes from your mind. Also, learn self-motivation - this will come in handy when you're out there in the playing field, or alone during practices and have no one to cheer you on but yourself.

3) Athletes have a sense of urgency, they feel that they are always pressed with time. They only have one shot every four years to compete in the Olympics, thus they work hard everyday to make each chance count!

4) Bilog ang bola. Today you fail, tomorrow you may win! I love the story of Joseph Schooling winning the gold against his idol Michael Phelps. It says a lot that dreams do come true, and everyone's got a chance in life.

And lastly... 5) Do not let hindrances take away your dreams from you.

In the video below, Filipino athlete Raul makes it to the Philippine Team, and competes for the country. He even bagged the Bronze Medal in the 2015 ASEAN Games. The catch? He has a disability.

Watch, and be inspired:

#Myslimmotivation #Myslim #Fitspiration