The Oprah Winfrey Interview with Lance Armstrong was a riveting tale of a hero who did wrong. His lies, bullying and deceit hurt many of his friends, colleagues, and much of the public. I am not going to lie to you , I do not understand this blood doping ritual that we have heard so much about. What I do understand though is that much of society will do whatever it takes to win.
- Many will work day and night to achieve that promotion, it doesn’t matter who is in their way or who they bully and hurt on the path of ultimate success.
- We see more children in competitive sports than ever before. Many parents target the ref or the coach as the fault of team’s losses. Many times they are the victim of bullying. Many people simply cannot surrender to the fact that sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. There has to be blame.
- There is an increase of weight loss centers. To comply with society’s expectations, we must win the battle of the bulge at all costs. We see our younger generation suffer from bulimia and anorexia to put them on the same playing field as their peers.
The list goes on. Lance Armstrong is the epitome of a person who would do anything to win. He lied, bullied, and hurt so many people along the way that I believe he doesn’t deserve a chance at racing at this time. He must earn that right again.
As someone said on Twitter, “We must learn about the power of the ego. The universe humbled the heck out of him.
Much like a person who has cheated on their spouse, Lance Armstrong cheated the world in believing that he was honest and faithful by continually denying his actions. He must face his truth and live with it. Over the course of time, his truth will reveal the man he is. There is no doubt that he feels guilt and remorse now. It’s fresh. Time will tell if the truth does set him free.
There is one defining characteristic that I do like about Lance Armstrong. He is a brilliant philanthropist. He has raised millions for Livestrong and I think keeping Lance on board in some role within the organization could have a benefit. You cannot take that away from him. Lance Armstrong fought hard to beat cancer and during his battle raised money for such an important cause.
Lance Armstrong is at ground zero starting today. He needs to focus on his present truth and his philanthropy. He needs to seek those who have forgiven him and participate in helping people make better life choices.
OWN Ambassador Shelley Harris had this to say to Lance Armstrong in a blog post she wrote after the two-part interview last night.
This is a long shot, but, I am involved with #ItTakes2, a Not-For-Profit organization for Youth Leadership. I would like to invite you to ride with us across Canada for youth at risk. We give teens a chance to change their story and triumph over all adversities. I welcome and invite you, come change your story with us. Let’s Go, Up and Onward!
Check out our trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnvuT832U5Y
This is just one example where Lance Armstrong can make a difference. Once upon a time, he had a wonderful story to tell about perseverance and winning. He now has a brilliant story to share with the younger generation. Something much more powerful than being a cancer survivor and a hero. First, he has to live his truth for a while and realize the damage that he has caused to many.
He still has a voice that people listen to. People will want to hear his story of victory and defeat for many years to come only if he has proven himself. The truth has set Lance Armstrong free, but his golden moment in life will be teaching the lessons that he has learned from it to his children and to much of the younger generation who will stop at nothing to win.
Stay tuned to see Lance Armstrong two years time speaking at an auditorium nearest you. This is not the last of him. I simply hope that he uses this story for all of the right reasons.
