“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle

The Olympic Games are where legends are born. Dreams finally become reality for some. For others, things do not go as planned. Win or lose, true passion for success as well as global cohesion is showcased at the Olympic Games. During this time, tensions between countries are temporarily put on hold; political matters become unimportant. These athletes have worked their entire lives to make it into to the elite category of Olympian. Despite opinions that certain individuals may hold towards some of the countries that these athletes are representing, they are all deserving of full attention as well as respect from all spectators across the globe for the sacrifices that they have put forth to make it to this level. The Sapling Company would like to personally commemorate these gladiators for their hard work and dedication.

Organization, motivation, and perseverance are the qualities that make an Olympic athlete. The phrase may sound delightful being heard from Tom Petty’s soothing voice, but “running down a dream” is a grueling task that demands intense preparation as well as a never-say-die attitude. Athletes must organize their diet, their workout regiment, and virtually all other facets of their daily routine to effectively ready themselves for the competition they will encounter at the Games. An extraordinary degree of motivation is required for such a demanding commitment. After weeks, months, possibly even years of preparation, it’s easy to feel burnt out. All of a sudden, a simple task that is performed routinely becomes excruciatingly more difficult. When one misses a beat, he or she usually loses his or her rhythm. How one reacts to this adversity ultimately decides whether he or she will be excellent, or just another “could-have-been” that lost sight of the big picture. This is what makes perseverance the final piece of the puzzle. It’s the inner-ambition that pushes one to dust him or herself off and finish the mission.

The last phase in an Olympic athlete’s journey is the big stage, where all the sacrificed blood, sweat, and tears pay dividends. Although all of these warriors have put forth an effort of epic proportions, only one individual can “win.” The reason for the quotations is because, when everything is broken down to its most simplified form, all of these athletes are winners. Regardless of what place they finish in, they stayed true to their commitment of doing everything humanly possible to achieve their lifelong dreams of representing their country in the Olympic Games. Some woke up when everyone was still asleep to swim 10 miles. Some had to eat every 2 hours on a daily basis to maintain their muscle mass. Some had to eat 2 meals on a daily basis to stay in their weight class. Whatever the sport they contended in, or the sacrifices that they were required to make might have been, they endured. They did what had needed to be done and had reached the pinnacle of their athletic careers to show for it. For that reason alone, their heads should be held high.

Don’t worry; I am not going to compare Sapling’s clock systems to Olympic athletes, but merely reflect on how this organization appreciates the ideals of an Olympic athlete. Sapling as a whole firmly believes that in order to achieve success, devotion must be made. Nothing that’s worth having is easy. To be able to effectively stay in the game with competitors, we too do everything in our capabilities to maximize organization. Sure, much like any combatant, our organization has faced obstacles, but our motivation to be the best that we can be has given us the capability to continuously persevere. Although our definition of hard work may not be the same as an Olympian’s, our competitive culture evidently shares many similarities.

The Sapling Company wishes good luck to all of the individuals competing at this year’s Olympic Games. All of you have diligently given your all to make it this far, and that’s something that Sapling respects.