A few weeks ago, the Olympic dream awoke once again, which, beyond its lights and shadows, is a symbol of fraternity, of unity between peoples, who meet every four years to give life to the official motto of the games Citius, Altius, Fortis (faster, higher, stronger).
In the spirit of the Olympic Games, which in ancient Greece were dedicated to Apollo, beats the idea of self-improvement in competition, not against others, but against oneself, with the incentive of measuring oneself against the best.
And that effort was crowned by Victory, like this one presiding over the East Fronton of the Parthenon in Athens.
A strange and beautiful symbol of Victory.
Many associated it with having achieved a goal or a dream, but it, the Victory only appears if it is the culmination of effort and perseverance, otherwise one could well speak only of good fortune. And what was expected to be achieved in the Olympic dream was the glorious Victory, the one associated with courage and the effort to overcome that follows the bold.
“Where there is no effort there is no merit”, the ancients used to say, and where there is no merit, Victory does not flutter.
Who does not aspire to succeed in what they set out to do? Who does not aspire to crown their projects, their relationships or their dreams with success?
There are many challenges, desired or not, that we face throughout life, but we will never culminate them by seeking the uncertain path of fortune, because it is not in our hands to control it. (It is said that the heroes only asked the goddess Fortune for opportunities to prove their worth, but not for the Victory that would only belong to them).
On the other hand, the path traced with effort and constancy, with illusion and faith in oneself, does lead us inexorably to the summit where this strange winged being dwells, and where we will find the greatest of crowns, braided by Apollo himself, which is the Victory over ourselves.
We are all Olympians.
Be Happy
Miguel Angel Padilla
