A Night to Remember

Anyone who witnessed the opening ceremonies for the Olympics this past weekend could not help but be amazed by this spectacular event. Displaying great passion, creativity, and commitment, the 18,000+ performers captured the attention and the hearts of the entire world.Over one billion people watched this truly amazing performance. In fact, if you were like me, you were glued to the TV screen the entire four and a half hours in order to not miss a single one of the hundreds of amazing feats performed by these talented entertainers!

And so what lessons did this massive, $300,000,000 production teach all of us who so patiently watched this interweaving of grandeur, history and vision with awe, as it unfolded in front of our very eyes?

First – that we are all connected. The Human Race truly needs each other in order to exist in the global world we now live in. Even more important, the earth needs our individual help, as well as the joint cooperation of everyone on the planet, so that our children will have a sustainable environment to call home for generations to come.

Second – that great vision and commitment can result in great accomplishment. For example, rehearsals for the opening event took more than one year; building the Birdsnest, the Water Cube, and all of the surrounding facilities for this once in a lifetime event took 8 years! And the Chinese accomplished this massive undertaking on-time and with great élan.

Third – that by working together, each one of us can make a difference in the world. No matter how big or small a part you may think you may play in the overall scheme of life, your effort does count. Working together to create something significant can result in a meaningful outcome that can positively change the world, like the 2000 synchronized drummers in the opening segment Friday night, or the lithe dancers who painted the story of early China in Sanskrit with their bodies on the largest LED screen in the world.

Friday evening, 8/8/2008, for one brief moment in time, we held the hopes and dreams of world peace in our hearts as athletes from around the world came together in friendship and camaraderie to compete in the XXIX summer Olympics. We can learn much from their staunch persistence, their unselfish dedication to their goals, and their willingness to strive synergistically to reach higher and go for the gold!