Most of the blog posts on here are timeless, and rarely venture into current events. 

However, I just finishing watching the Olympics Opening Ceremony broadcast live from Paris, France.

Spoiler Alert Ahead -

It will be shown again tonight on NBC in the States, so I won't give any of the surprises away, but I will talk about some of the general pieces.  

This is one of the few Opening Ceremonies that I actually managed to watch live. It was cool to see it unfolding. 

It struck me how effectively they used stillness, receptiveness and a slower pace to emphasize the magnitude of the event.  

Now, some of that slowness had to do with the logistics of the event and the rain, as called out by the media covering it. But the logistics themselves were an amazing feat especially how the athletics came into the ceremony. To my knowledge no other host city has ever intentionally created MORE logistics than necessary. 

That slower paced also allowed the athletics and us the viewers to pause and appreciate the moment. Something we rarely do enough of. 

Did I find myself thinking some parts moved too slowly?

Yes, I did. Until I got into the rhythm of the flow and really started to appreciate all the subtle and non-subtle aspects that were being presented.

Unity and inclusion were major themes throughout the Opening Ceremony, as they have been in past Olympics, but I felt that France took it the next level and integrated it beyond anything I had seen before.

And they did with precision and slowness.  

It didn't slow down the high energy of the event, it enhanced it.

All the performers and the torch bearers had to slow their movements down because to the rain. Their feats, their foot work, their performances had to be more thoughtful, so they didn't injure themselves. 

Kelly Clarkson who was a host for NBC, called the opening ceremony magical, and I agree.

We often think that just moving quickly forward is the best course of action. 

But sometimes it's about taking a slower more measured approach that gets us the better results.  

If it wasn't raining would things have moved faster? Maybe. There was enough major elements in the Opening Ceremony that still would have caused it move slower than past Opening Ceremonies. But the rain highlighted the extra precision.

Watch the Open Ceremony tonight and think where in your life can you take a few more measured steps.

Choice occasionally to be in the gentle flow instead of the rapids.

Ohhh by the way ..... the last performance of the evening.... was so strong, beautiful, heartfelt, and courageous. Especially if you know what they have been dealing with. And if you don't look it up after the performance. 

I promised no big spoilers so I won't say anymore but it sealed the night as 

Magical.