#170 Winners & Losers ??

     Seeing Usain Bolt's behavior at the recent summer olympics made me fear for his future. This was the high-point in this self-proclaimed legend's life - and now what? All I could think of was Bruce Springsteen's song "Glory Days" (below).

     On the other hand, when Jared Connaughton took ownership of causing his Canadian team's loss of the bronze medal in the 4x100 meter run, I felt that this may be a temporary low-point, but that he has what it takes to continue maturing into a progressively finer human being over a lifetime.
     If one is fixated on the hope that "if only I can have X, then I'm guaranteed happiness", then of course Bolt is a "winner", Connaughton a "loser", end of story. This type of rigid, goal-oriented, perfectionistic, black-or-white mindset aims to control life - but of course can't.
     Externals are impossible to fully control, may not be obtainable regardless of one's efforts, lose their appeal sooner or later even when we do manage to obtain them, etc. Putting all of one's hopes on externals is sadly deluded and a terrible burden on everyone.
     One's character or quality of being is the only thing that one has good control over and that can progressively grow or mature. 
     Mindfulness is about embracing and working with reality as it really is, not as we desperately wish it were.