The Olympics are on in Vancouver and there is always much ado about medals. There are ceremonies, podiums, ranking and beautiful awards.

Each of us is also in fact in a competition with ourselves to “win at living”. Just like Olympic athletes we have multiple times to do practice runs. In fact there are many different levels of competition. We may even allow our ego to propel us into a story of competition with others but in truth we are a team of 1 in our lives.

I do not mean we are alone for we are not. We are surrounded by kindred souls walking the human journey at the same time as we are. We are surrounded by so much life that often we are not even aware of all the life team around us. You may not want to know everything that is in your matter but suffice it to say that we never really sleep alone…smile.

So what do you have to do in order to “qualify” for the game of life? Nothing other than being born. How is it that everyone achieves a gold medal? That is simple. You are each in a competition of one. What other level could there be. There is no other competition. It is me, myself and I in the game. All I need to do is to continue living and I am a success. I know that this can be difficult to believe in a capitalist society so if I may I will borrow a piece of Cuban culture.

Cubans cannot amass wealth. They can have rich relatives outside of Cuba who provide money but in reality there is not much to accumulate. Therefore the measure of society is more about you as an individual. Are you a good person? Do you help your family? Are you ethical? Can you be trusted? Are you reliable? These are the building blocks of all the successful people I have ever met in Cuba. This is a good outcome from a bad situation. There is a good culture in Cuba run by a corrupt and ruthless government.

So the measure of your value to your life is really determined by the goals you set, the rules you decide and the outcomes you evaluate. Make sure you are awarding yourself a gold medal. If you do not like some goals or you find you never attain them then consider changing your goals or your approaches. Either approach has value. Pick the approach that works for you. If you do not like the rules, rewrite the playbook. You are the author and the auditor. Use your position to your advantage. And finally, if you do not like some of  the outcomes then simply go back to your goals and your rules and you will find when they are aligned the outcomes will be more pleasing to you.

So go for the gold. Plan your celebration. Your contribution to the world is important and appreciated. Let yourself enjoy your moment in the spotlight. In fact, make it happen and you will have that much more appreciate for your own life achievements and those of others around you.