The beautiful morning sunlight glowed over the Beijing Olympic Stadium. "Your throws are amazing," a coach from another country commented during my warm-up. However, I knew I would fail in my competition.

"No matter how far I throw, my competitors will beat my mark because they are much better prepared. They don't work full time." This thought had been stuck in my mind for the past month.

After our event, we were crowded into the red elevator taking us to the media zone. "How was the competition for you?" the javelin thrower from Germany asked. "My knee ligaments are torn. I competed here for the experience," said a very accomplished thrower from the USA. "I had huge back pains during my throws," the Olympian from China added.

I had to sacrifice the Olympics to discover two major lessons that elevated my life:

1. No one is prepared perfectly for anything. Even for the Olympics… Not everything needs to be perfect to do your best.
   
2. Our thoughts enable us or stop us from reaching the incredible results of which we are capable.
   
   

If I had repeated my warm-up marks during the competition and not given up on myself, I would have been the finalist in the Olympic Games.

Amazing
Disappointment

The Unforgettable Lessons Discovering Potential

By Inga Stasiulionyte