TEARS TO CHEERS

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A couple of nights ago, Jordyn Wieber was in tears.  She had just found out that her dream of winning the Gold in the Olympic All-Around Competition was over before it even started.  Even though she had one of the 5 best scores among all the athletes competing, she would be left out because two higher scores were registered by her teammates.  Although she tried, she couldn't hold back the tears.  The All-Around World Champion would not be the Olympic Champion.

Everyone held their collective breath as the team competition began last night.  How would Jordyn respond?  Could she regroup and give her best performance after her dream had been shattered?  That question was quickly answered as she led-off for the U.S.  Again and again, she nailed her routines and help lead her team to the Gold Medal.   No one smiled brighter or grander as they stood on the medal stand to receive, not an individual Gold, but a Team Gold.

Being shut-out of her dream was not her choice, but adopting a new dream was.  She had a choice...bitter or better.  She chose better.  And now, along with her teammates, she wears Gold.  Maybe not the Gold she most coveted, but Gold.

Life is about choices we don't get to make and the choices we do get to make in response to those.  What we choose changes everything.  We either readjust our dreams and desires, or we simply get bitter.  It's that simple.  Today, something will go array.  How will you respond to it?  Your response to what you don't want will determine more about who you are than all the "wins" you rack up combined.  Choose better, not bitter.

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