opinions // 16

Success 1s a DIY project

» Don't rely on others t

 

W: put a lot of pressure on
other people—people
we don’t even know: artists,
athletes, and politicians,

to name a few. When they
succeed we cheer them on and
when they fail we mope by
their corner. We pay money to
attend their movies, concerts,
games, and conventions just

so we can be in their presence.
We make false idols out of
these people and invest a lot of
ourselves into their well-being
and achievements. But is that
healthy?

Living vicariously through
other people is normal. I do
it, you do it, and your mother
definitely does it. But how far
is too far? I still remember that
story about a sports fan who
struck his wife after the team
lost. Whether the story is true
or some exaggeration, the news
was appalling; yet not that
surprising, since sport fans are
notorious for overreacting to
something they won't even get
recognition for.

So why do we invest so
much in, say, a team or an
athlete? Well, because there is
something in our brains that
allows us to relate to athletes
and other people we get
enjoyment from. We feel the
feats they perform, like we are
performing them ourselves. We
feel the jubilance of a goal and
the pain of a loss. It’s through
this emotional high and low
that we end up getting invested. :

o be happy

: It’s like watching a movie or

: reading a book; we feel what the
: characters feel. This is totally

: healthy, but only if there is a

: balance between self and other.

For most of us, we aren't

: athletes, we aren’t musicians,

: and we aren't actors. We need

: others to break us out of the

: stress of our lives. Our exams,

: our job interviews, and our

: dates are all ordeals we have

: to go through on our own, and

: it’s not healthy to just focus on
: ourselves, either. It’s important
: to achieve our own goals, while
: cheering for others. You end up
: creating a community within

: yourself. You work for you, but
: you find inspiration in others,

: while never relying on other

: people to improve yourself.

Would Leonardo DiCaprio

: winning an Oscar really make

: you happy? Why should it?

: Would Team Canada losing the
: gold medal upset you? Were

: they going to share the goal

: medal with you? Should you

: have gone on the ice for Sidney
: Crosby and scored for him?

: Probably not.

But you can still be happy,

: and you don’t even need Leo or
: Sid. You can do it all by yourself.
: Create goals that don’t involve

: other people, goals that you

: can achieve without the help

: of anyone else. It could be as

: simple as a diet or a physical

: challenge, or to reach an

: academic or career goal. It’s nice
: to see other people succeed,

: but remember there are always

: people rooting for you, and

: they deserve to see you succeed
: as well—and you owe them

: nothing.

al fs
Sn fi
afi

f
Ls
e
F
3
iM
j

=
.

|
> ae

theotherpress.ca

 

By www.thoughtleadershiplab.com

 

Olympic successes belong to all Canadians

» Quebec and Canadian accomplishments are synonymous

  

Or: the medals started
piling up for Canada in the
first week of the Sochi Olympic
Winter Games, the “True
North” debate on social media
shifted from Olympic glitches
and repulsive Russian anti-gay
laws to something a little more
baffling: that of distinguishing
between the successes of
Olympians from Quebec and
those from the rest of Canada.
The talk has extended
from social media and into the

Minews
@theotherpress.ca

 

: mainstream media: reporters
have noted that if you took

: the medals won by Canadian

: Olympians in Sochi and divvied
: them up between Quebec and
: the rest of Canada, Canada

: would not be as high in the

: medal standings. Some have

: also pointed out that Quebec
: has earned more medals than
: any other province.

These aren't even Quebec

separatists talking about it, but
: Quebec federalists as well.

While it’s technically true

that our athletes from Quebec

: have been doing exceptionally
: well at this year’s Winter

: Games, those athletes attend

: the games as representatives of

: Canada.

: we were to ask Alex Bilodeau

or the Dufour-Lapointe sisters:
: who they won medals for, they'd :
: say Canada. :

while athletic development

: is something that Canadian

: provinces are responsible

: for, and Quebec has a great

: program for funding its

: athletes, it’s also important to
: remember that Quebec has

: been the beneficiary of a lot

: of federal dollars to support

: their development: the

: Financial Post reports that the
: federal government allocates
: $62-million annually to the

: Own the Podium program.

: In addition, there are the

Iam almost certain that if

But let’s talk specifics:

: Canadian Olympic facilities—in :
: Montreal, Vancouver, Whistler,
: and Calgary—where many

Canadian athletes train for the

: Winter Games. This is, by and

: large, a team effort; a national

: effort. I’m certain the athletes

: from Quebec would also say as
: much.

The fact is, this wouldn’t

even exist as a topic for

: discussion if the situation were
: reversed. If British Columbia,

: for example, was cleaning

: house in terms of medals, there
: wouldn't be an alternative

: medal count that excludes

: athletes from the Province of

: Quebec.

It’s okay to be proud of the

: accomplishments of Canadian

athletes, regardless of where

: in the country they’re from.
It’s perfectly acceptable to tout
: the Quebec athletic program

: as being the most generous in
: terms of funding. But let’s not
: get carried away in this talk

: about how Quebec athletes

: are somehow more inclined

: to Olympic success than

: Olympians from other parts of
: the country. It only diminishes
: the remarkable Olympic

: successes of athletes like Dara
: Howell (Ontario), Denny

: Morrison (British Columbia),

: and Patrick Chan (Ontario).

: Are we honestly going to

: keep talking about this?