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Health & Fitness

Olympic mindset contributes to feeling youthful

“What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”  This maxim for life is inscribed on a tin plate that has hung on my office wall for years. It’s a thought-provoking kick-in-the-pants that jolts me out of occasional mental stupors induced by the complaints of aging that try to get the better of me.

The potency of youthfulness is once more center stage at the 22nd Olympic Winter Games.  And while the speed, grace and acrobatics of the world’s top competitors might seem to be out of reach for us ordinary folk, the vivacity of youth on display in Sochi can’t really escape anyone with the right attitude.

The Olympic motto, “Faster, Higher, Stronger” is a high ideal that speaks more to mental acuity than physical prowess. Dr. Doug Gardner of ThinkSport Consulting Services, says, “In reality, sport is 100 percent mental. Our thoughts influence our actions and our actions influence our thoughts.”

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Taking it a step further, spiritual explorer, Mary Baker Eddy contends, “Thought is the essence of an act, and the stronger element of action.”  Just like athletes and their trainers who monitor team and individual mental atmosphere, we need to pay close attention to what we thinking.  Resulting actions and better outcomes such as health are at stake.

Eddy adds an important spiritual component to the mix: “Anatomy, when conceived of spiritually, is mental self-knowledge, and consists in the dissection of thoughts to discover their quality, quantity, and origin.”  Our thoughts have value, and they impact our wellbeing and everyday events.

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When “feeling our age” we can take a cue from today’s athletes whose training is comprised of mental assessment along with physical workout. Consider your thoughts and make the necessary adjustments.  It’s the only way to age gracefully and take home the gold.

 

Steven Salt is a writer and blogger covering health, spirituality and thought.  He is a Christian Science practitioner, curious about everything.  You can follow him on Twitter @SaltSeasoned

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