The 2024 Paris Olympics will be remembered for many different reasons. Countless stories will be told of the inspirational athletes who have defied odds and made sacrifices to make it to the world stage. It is understandable that excitement and nerves run high and a bit of drama unfolds in some of the Olympic events.
Things got particularly heated during the women’s beach volleyball gold match between Canada and Brazil when players Melissa Humana-Parades and Brandie Wilkerson clashed with Brazil’s Ana Patricia Silva Ramos over a call. The tension was palpable when the players got up into each other’s faces, with the referee largely failing to separate and calm the agitated players.
Amid the shouting, the DJ stepped in with a subtle, and powerful move– playing John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
As the spectators joined in singing the classic song, the tension lifted. The players too couldn’t help but smile, with Wilkerson smiling and even clapping her hands in the air.
Some might say that this was a moment that proves the “power of music.’’ Others called it the “best moment of the Olympics.” We agree with all that, and more: the DJ, whether he knew it or not, was practicing Habit 1: Be Proactive.
This is the practice of creating space between reaction and stimulus, creating enough space in oneself to step back and choose our response in the face of what is happening. More specifically, the DJ was a Transition Person– someone who passes positivity along. His choice of music defused the situation and created space for the players to (literally) step back and choose another, arguably better response.
What a wonderful reminder for all of us to pass on positivity, choice, and proactivity along to all the people we meet.
Additional Reading:
Indian Express. How John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ lightened up tense moment during Brazil-Canada volleyball clash at Paris Olympics 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024. https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/paris-olympics-women-bea[…]nada-vs-brazil-john-lennon-imagine-song-viral-video-9509823/
Today. DJ plays John Lennon’s ‘iconic’ song to calm down beach volleyball players after heated exchange, Retrieved August 28, 2024. https://www.today.com/news/paris-olympics/womens-beach-volleyball-olympics-song-viral-moment-rcna166080
Comments