It was hard not to smile watching Alysa Liu skate at the Olympics. Her short skate was absolutely joyful. For her long program, she put the “free” in free skate. While she was awarded with the gold medal, it was clear that her real reward was just the opportunity to skate.
At one point after she won a journalist shouted to her, “I really enjoyed your free skate.” To which she responded grinning, “I really enjoyed my free skate too.”
It was a reminder of what is possible when we relieve ourselves of the pressures heaped on us by external forces AND those we thrust upon ourselves and simply let loose.
Her teammate, Amber Glenn, responded to a devastating mistake in the short program by scoring a season best skate in the long program. When asked afterwards what she attributed her turnaround to, she said simply that she was out there for her six-year old self, who just loved to skate.
Slalom skier Mikaela Shiffrin is widely considered the best of all time in her sport. Yet admitted that it was pressure that contributed to keeping her off the podium the last two Olympics. When she finally won her gold medal last week, she said she went out there and just skied. In a moving moment, as she crossed the finish line, you could see her mouth the word, “Dad.” Amidst all the cheers and fanfare, she just sat on her skis gliding slowly as she “took a few minutes to talk to her Dad,” who had tragically died in a tragic accident a few years earlier.
You don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to feel pressure. To feel the tightness that comes with it. To carry the weight of expectations we and others place upon us. To forget what and who brings us joy.
Yet these three incredible women showed us what can happen when we let loose and move freely – whether it be on the ice, down a sloop, or through life. Yes, the results can be what we hoped for but more importantly we simply enjoy what we’re doing so much more.
This Week’s Recommendation: Think of something that you really enjoyed as a little kid. Something that you just loved to do for the sake of it. Now, if possible, go spend a few minutes letting loose again.
Share this with someone who might benefit from loosening up a little.