"Runner's World" magazine came out with an Olympics special right before London, and I, fascinated by the seemingly unlimited physical capabilities of the human body, soaked up every article, words and images from start to finish. The editor wrote a note about the difference between a gold medal Olympic athlete and an Olympic athlete who doesn't medal. The one commonality between gold medal Olympians is that they all have a strong sense of self whether or not they take home the gold; their worthiness does not depend on the medal.
Over the years I have had talks with my girlfriends about how as women, we need to be okay with who we are whether or not we have a boyfriend or husband. There's too much weight put on Tom Cruise's line in Jerry Maguire: "you complete me." I wonder if relationships should really be viewed in such a way?
Eric Fromm in his classic book, "The Art of Loving" makes a comparison between two different kinds of love:
"Infantile love follows the principle: 'I love because I am loved.' Mature love follows the principle: 'I am loved because I love.' Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says: 'I need you because I love you.'"
I find a striking correlation between what Fromm wrote so many years ago in regards to love and life partners and what the editor from Runner's World recently wrote in regards to Olympians and their gold medals. It seems that we first need to have a mature and strong sense of self before we can attract the golden people. I wouldn't want a runner-up if I knew that the best was out there standing on a podium waiting for me.
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