Mariella Gattini

The Olympic Games have been a revelation for me this year. Generally, I mostly pay attention to swimming competitions and women’s gymnastics, but this time the U.S. swimmers Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel, and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, that includes Simone Bile, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez, Gaby Douglas, and Madison Kocian caused a new and profound impression on me this time. Why so much so? Am I exaggerating? Not really.

Watching their outstanding sportsmanship and prowess, I was in awe at their ability to tune noise out. That internal and external noise we all have to deal with everyday, every minute of our existence. Whether it is that internal voice in our heads, constantly trying to push us forward, or all those voices coming from our environment that come and go in different directions—voices sometimes overwhelm us and put us down.

I witnessed the stress those gymnasts were under, their ability to focus and to not only overcome their initial mistakes but embrace them as part of the process of being the best they could be. And they did it! They rose up to the occasion. What a marvelous spectacle to see.

I could also admire Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky competing with themselves, breaking their own records. That’s true competition, the one where you work hard to improve to the point of achieving greatness because you are truly good at what you do, and not because you tear down the other competitors.

What a lesson they gave me in perseverance, mental strength, and complete control over their own minds and bodies. Some are talking about the wonderful example they are for new generations to come, many of whom are looking up to them as role models for their own futures. But they haven’t considered the fact that they also are a reminder for everyone else of all the infinite possibilities we can choose from when we take control of our mind, body, and life.

I’m reading the book A Mind of Your Own by Kelly Brogan, a psychiatrist, who is getting away from the standard physician role of dispensing medication to embrace a holistic way to heal the brain. She backs up every one of her statements with research done by other experts about the way the brain and body can heal themselves, and how medication is not only not helping, but it’s harming people, even the over-the-counter ones. Furthermore, she stresses the fact that we need to eliminate from our diets everything that interferes with the natural internal biological processes, among the ones she puts emphasis in living without: Gluten, dairy, and refined sugar or sugar substitutes. It’s a very useful book, I’m half way through, and I already feel more connected to my own body, getting rid of all the unnecessary burden I’ve been carrying around.

It’s true that nobody is going to give us a medal for taking care of ourselves, but we all can strike gold, every time we feel well, physically, psychologically, and socially, because in our lives, we always come first, being the protagonists of our own narratives. In our private life, there are no silver or bronze medals, not even disqualifications. When we take control of our own physical health and mental well-being nothing and nobody can decide for us, we are better prepared to face the inclemencies of our precarious human environments, and we are in complete command of our future. No matter where you find yourself in life, your age, or health circumstances, your head and body are yours to protect and love. It’s never too late, and it’s not about another diet headed for the promised land, it’s about taking charge of your own life. And when you reach that point, you are able to see the impact your life has on others, which makes you even more aware of the responsibility you have with yourself and your environment.

As long as there is life, there is the opportunity to strike gold, wherever you decide to go, and whoever you decide to be.