#WHATITTAKES

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT): For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

If you’re gorging on Rio 2016 coverage late at night you’ll have seen Sport Chek’s 90-second Olympic manifesto campaign #WHATITTAKES on television and social media.

Each ad is a powerful video woven from the previous 72 hours of CBC’s Olympics coverage with a script written and voiced by Canadian poet and spoken-word performer Shane Koyczan:

“What will it take to keep you from doubting yourself . . . this time?”
“Is the drum in your chest loud enough to keep your challengers up at night?”
“Are you committed to the grace it takes to turn your falls into dives?”

With video showing Canadian excellence stretched, compressed and strained to breaking point, married to an economy of spoken word that haunts you, #WHATITTAKES shows, brilliantly, why resilience matters . . . to all of us . . . not just to Olympic hopefuls.

If you haven’t yet, Google #WHATITTAKES and drink in the opening manifesto and the two “verses” produced thus far. Two more will air before Rio 2016 ends.

In the meantime, here are some lessons on resilience . . . from Rio.

Context

  • Don’t forget why you’re there.
  • Remember your community – your cloud of witnesses.
  • Embrace friendship – it’ll bloom in the most unexpected places.

Faith

  • Trust the process that’s brought you to this moment and time.
  • Trust that you’re ready.

Discipline

  • It’s about the tiny goals you’ve hit every single day along the way.
  • Focus on the WIN (what’s important now); the right next step. And only that.
  • Tune out distractions.
  • Finish the race – get up and run even if hurdles smash into your legs and you’re going to be out of medal contention.

Approach

  • It’s OK to not answer questions when you’re disappointed, tired, sad or mad.
  • It’s not OK to be rude.

Calling

  • It’s about you. And then . . . it’s not about you. It’s about something larger than your best self.

What Scripture passages would you use to illustrate each point? What resilience moments have stood out for you as you’ve watched the Olympics? Leave us a comment.