Golden Rule

Hello, again!
I'm back from Sapporo, my hometown which is in the "coolest" major island in Japan, today. I have TONS of topics to talk to you, but today, let me write about the Beijing Olympics.

Chiharu Icho is a Japanese female wrestler. She got a silver medal at the last Athens Olympics. It meant she lost the final game there. On the other hand, her young sister, Kaori, won a gold medal at another class.

The sturdy sister's dream is "getting gold medals together at the Beijing Olympics!"
Today, Chiharu won and won until the final match, but she lost the last game.

At the Athens Olympics, she wept with frustration because she didn't get a "gold" medal. She lost the final match today, so I imagined how much she regretted.

However, she smiled after the match. When she was interviewed, she answered calmly.
" I've done what I can do. My sister, Kaori (who will fight tomorrow!) and I have been working hard to win this Olympic matches. The days and people who supported us are so precious that I think this (silver) medal is the "gold" medal for me.
We have been fighting. That is wrestling. Therefore, we can be categorized a "silver winner" or a "gold winner." However, I think our exertions can't be categorized.
I'm proud of myself."

When I heard her words, I can't stop my tears flowing down.
I heard she is a genuine stoic. Therefore, I thought her words " I've done what I can do" proved her enormous exertions.
The gold medalist of 100 m & 200 m breaststroke, Kosuke Kitajima, said the same thing.

Have you experienced this kind of feeling..."I've done everything what I can do. I'm proud of myself."???
It is easy to say, "Yes, I have!" But in my case, I always think "I may have been able to work hard. But I just didn't want to."
I think most common people can't do "work hard at the one's limit."

However, some people who are the "cream of the crop," like top athletes who can join Olympic games, can do it. I think the most important thing for them may be not "getting a medal," but "getting their limits." But if they can do it, they have much possibilities to reach the "top" from other athletes.
Is it a "golden rule," isn't it???

By the way... have you watched the final of 100 meters track race??
Usain Bolt, who is from Jamaica, won a gold medal & broke his own world record.
That is good, but he didn't "run seriously!!" At the last quarter, he stretched his arms wide open & clapped his chest just before crossing the line.
Haven't he reached "his limit?" No! He could have run even faster!!!
The "golden rule" cannot applied to him, such a merry guy from the Caribbean Sea...