Every four years–barring a pandemic–the Olympics showcase a level of Excellence we can all aspire to achieve. And Excellence is one of three Olympic values. -By Brian Hurlburt, Founder and Host, Magnifying Excellence Podcast.
The overriding message of the Olympics is to create unity and bring people together. A common philosophy of the Olympics is to set rivalries aside and that “there is more that unites us than divides us.” A goal of the Olympics is to build a better, more peaceful world. There is Excellence in that mission.
According to the official International Olympic Committee website, “the three values of Olympism are excellence, friendship and respect. They constitute the foundation on which the Olympic Movement builds its activities to promote sport, culture and education with a view to building a better world.”
The original values of Olympism as expressed in the Olympic Charter were to “encourage effort”, “preserve human dignity” and “develop harmony”.
Over time, the values have evolved and are now expressed in more contemporary terms as:
- Striving for excellence and encouraging people to be the best they can be.
- Celebrating friendship, which is quite unique to the Olympic Games – an event that brings people together every few years.
- Demonstrating respect in many different manners: respect towards yourself, the rules, your opponents, the environment, the public, etc.