With the London 2012 Olympic Games in full flow not too far up the road from me, and thoroughly absorbing me, at the moment, something that Jack Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee, said in his speech, just before the Games were declared open, caught my attention.
He said,
"The values that inspired de Coubertin (founder of the modern Olympic Games) will come to life over the next 17 days as the world's best athletes compete in a spirit of friendship, respect and fair play."He went on to say to the gathered athletes, "
Now you have a chance to become true Olympians. That honor is determined not by whether you win, but by how you compete."
I think that Mr. Rogge's comment that winning isn't the most important thing when it comes to competing in the Olympic Games and also his use of the word "play" in relation to the Olympic "Games" serves as a timely reminder that competing in any games, whether they be Olympic or in your local park, is not a question of life or death.
When we think of the incredible dedication, commitment and sacrifices shown by the athletes in getting to compete in an Olympic Games in the first place, we sometimes mistake it for do or die.
But when it comes down to it, it's about an athlete, or team of athletes, pitting their wits and their skills against an opponent, or opposing team, to win a game, or series of games, to ultimately (hopefully) win a medal.
I've commented before that one of the key reasons that my mile-each-day experiment worked when I tried to see if I could run every day for the month of January 2010, and is still working now over 940 days later, was because I labeled it as an experiment, which for me makes it similar to playing a game.
Do you remember what it was like to play as a child?
I do.
When I played as a boy I created a world into which I completely immersed myself.
In my games I became a general conducting his soldiers in battle,
I also became George Best (in the days when he still weaved his magic on a football field rather than in a pub) out on my back lawn or at the local park with my jumper thrown down as a goal post.
But does that mean that because I was playing I didn't go full out?
No it didn't. It's only now as an inhibited adult that I find myself not playing full out either through embarrassment, fear of failing, looking foolish, being laughed at or talked about behind my back.
Was I afraid of not actually being able to play like George Best or that I didn't actually know how to command real live soldiers?
No I wasn't. I just had fun throwing myself into the experience and playing full out.
I also learned a lot through playing. Although I never followed up on my general's skills I did become a fairly proficient footballer and played for all my school teams and beyond into adulthood.
It's strange that as adults we think of playing games as being kind of pointless and frivolous and an escape from the real business of life.
But what if playing games is the real business of life?
What if I were to treat my life and my business as a game and throw myself into it fully and have fun using my imagination and playing full out, win or lose.
I have a suspicion that I just might have a lot more fun and could even be more successful along the way.
How about you?
So let the games begin - again!
