i, tonya

To honor the Winter Olympics and finish off our nominated films theme, I figured this was the best choice this week. Though the film is not nominated for Best Picture (still trying to figure that one out), it was definitely one of my top picks this year.

This film is intense! The fact that it’s based on a true story (one I remember living through) makes it all the more insane. Tonya Harding (played here by Margot Robbie) is the focus of this film. To put it lightly, this girl had a passion! Despite all the obstacles depicted in the film, she stuck with it. I admire her determination and devotion given everything she had to endure. She gave up so much of her life to skating, only to have it turn it’s back on her in the end. Whether it was deserved or not, it really puts life in perspective and makes you consider how much you are willing to give up for something, even if the results you want are not guaranteed.

I think all Olympians have considered this. That’s why I’ve been so anxious watching the Olympics for the past two weeks. They’ve sacrificed a lot for their passion and it all comes down to a few moments where it can all either go right or not right enough. I like to remind myself that, although not everyone walks away a winner, their efforts are not wasted. They’re competing in the Olympics! If they lose, they’re still one of the top 20 athletes in their sport IN THE WORLD!

I think that mindset comes in handy when you are hesitant to pursue a goal where you can’t predict the outcome. You need a “shoot for the moon, land among the stars” mentality meaning no matter what your goal is, you’ll still benefit from the journey to get there. When I invested in coaching education, I was learning tools that could help me at any job or career I end up in. Even if I didn’t become a coach, I could still use the skill. In that case, the reward was much greater than the risk, so I went for it.

One thing we can be certain about is nothing is certain. If we love something enough, we almost have to go for it, no matter the outcome. We can hope for a specific outcome, but the rest is up to the universe. I mean, look at Tonya. She was literally banned from pursuing her passion...and she turned out alright. She took what she learned and put it to use in other ways. But a lot had to go wrong for that to happen. Just avoid hurting other people and you’ll probably be in the clear.

That’s all for now. Until next time, glide through a few of these questions for help:

What’s a risky goal you are considering?
Is the reward for achieving the goal worth more or less than the risk of not achieving the goal?
What would happen if you didn’t get the outcome you wanted?
What beneficial knowledge or skills could you learn from pursuing this goal?
What are other positive outcomes from pursuing this goal?