Mythical firebird Phoenix is rising from the flames
Last season, downhill racer Mikaela Shiffrin accumulated the most wins for any competitive skier, man or woman. Now Shiffrin is training in Portillo, Chile for the upcoming Olympics. But Shiffrin departed from her usual events to do speed training. She even posted a video of catching air and shouting for joy.
But this is the skier who didn’t finish three out of four races and placed ninth in the 2020 Beijing Olympics. Social media squawkers called her “finished.” The world counted her out. It must have hurt. But Shiffrin did some self-examination and began training in earnest. She was only down, not out.
We all take hits when we stand up and stand out. If it’s worth doing, there is challenge, even danger. Use naysayers’ comments as fuel. Work on your weak points and like Shiffrin, train outside of your normal routine. Consider taking an improv class or picking up a new sport to fire neurons and muscles. And remember, a sense of humor is crucial when pushing yourself. Catch air and like Shiffrin say “WEEEEE!’