Did the Olympics get you fired up?

I know for some of us we get a renewed sense of patriotism when watching the Olympics and for others we find ourselves with a renewed desire to get back in shape, step up our workout, or find something that will satisfy our craving to compete. You know … the badminton-playing, trampoline-jumping, swimming-gymnast-decathlete in us all.

But this happens frequently, doesn’t it? I know that when the Masters, the TPC, the Ryder Cup or other major golf tournaments come around, local golf courses experience an uptick in business. And when Wimbledon or the U.S. Open is being aired, we see a spike in people playing tennis.

We also witness a rise in church attendance when something horrific happens in our local community or even during a global disaster, people searching for comfort and assurance in an immediate time of need. And we also see the congregation swell at Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day.

The Law of Inertia states that a body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. And it can also be said that a body at rest will stay at rest unless impacted by some type of force.

So whether the “force” or impetus that sparks our patriotism, or our desire to engage, re-engage, or step up our physical fitness or other form of recreation was inspired by the Olympics or any other athletic event we see on television or in person, let’s embrace the motivating force and keep it going.

And if we show up to church in search of answers or seeking peace or solace after a tragedy, and if we show up at church on a Christmas, Easter, or Mother’s Day to cherish the ones we love, that’s awesome too, as it could be a start to a longer spiritual journey or even just an deeper exploration of our faith.

What if we kept it going? What if these events led us into a more committed effort to our activities, hobbies, passions, and relationships? My good friend and mentor Zig Ziglar had a great quote; he said: “People who never take step one, can never take step two.” But since these events have led us into taking step one, all we have to do is take step two, then step three, step four and so on and before you know it we will be well down the path of living the life we have wanted to live and achieving the things we set out to achieve.

We have to keep it going, the Law of Inertia right? We can either start moving or we can stay motionless; the good news is that we get to decide.

Will you keep it going? I would love to hear all about how you just might turn a single event or moment of inspiration into a more committed and long-term effort at gotonorton@gmail.com. Take step two, three, four and so on and it will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton, a resident of Highlands Ranch, is the former president of the Zig Ziglar organization and CEO and founder of www.candogo.com