It’s the story everyone is talking about.
You probably have already heard about it – even if you haven’t been watching the Olympics, I’m sure it’s been popping up on your newsfeed & social media. Simone Biles, after experiencing what gymnasts called “the twisties” (or a loss of awareness of where you are in the air), pulled herself out of the Olympics competition last week. She returned at the beginning of this week to compete & win bronze on beam. Biles is an Olympic champion, winner of multiple gold medals, but she was quoted saying that this bronze medal “means more than all the golds because I’ve pushed through so much the last five years & the last week I’ve been here.”
Given certain circumstances, bronze means more than gold.
I want that statement to sink in for a moment. We may not all be Olympic athletes (I’m venturing a guess that no one reading this is currently competing in Tokyo), but we all have our own competitions, our own daily challenges, our moments when we are put to the test. And the message most often, when we come to these moments less prepared, not in the right headspace, or feeling unwell, is to push through. Keep going. Don’t let anything stop you.
Simone Biles, one of the greatest gymnasts & athletes of all time, just showed everyone that it’s okay to listen to your body & pull yourself out, even in what seems to be the most important moment of your life, the climax of your story.
Simone Biles spent last week cheering on her teammates from the sidelines, congratulating them on their gold medals when she should have been winning medals of her own. She voluntarily went from being the center of attention to the cheerleader on the sidelines. And we all love her even more for it.
And when she finally did return, & won bronze, we all cheered even harder than before. Because, in that moment, we watched someone who was not only a terrific athlete, but someone who was human, just like us, defy the odds, advocate for mental health, & still take home an Olympic medal when we would have been just as proud of her if she hadn’t come home with anything.
Given certain circumstances, bronze means more than gold.
Where in your life are you pushing too hard, & what are you sacrificing for it? Is there an area where you have the spotlight, but perhaps it would be better for you, or those around you, if you gave it to someone else? Is there an area of your life where giving up achieving the “best” could actually afford you the chance to have something better, to enjoy life more, to take care of yourself & others?
It’s not an easy decision to make. It’s hard to pull back when we know we could be capable of more. But just because we can do it does not mean we should. Just because we can do the workload of that promotion doesn’t mean it’s worth sacrificing family time. Just because we can work overtime doesn’t mean it’s worth the lack of sleep & toll on our physical well-being. Just because we can deal with & make a toxic relationship work doesn’t mean it is worth the damage to our mental health.
Just because we can achieve gold, it doesn’t make the bronze any less valuable.