Olympics, more than just Games

 I first became captivated by the Olympics when I heard of Michael Phelps and his dynamic swimming abilities. Later hearing of Simone Biles unparalleled perfromance at the 2016 Olympics, I developed a love for the sport of Gymnastics.

This year's Olympics was filled with breathtaking moments, record-breaking feats, and heartwarming displays of affection that were more addictive than any telenovela. The Swedish-American pole vaulter, Duplantis, swiftly embracing his girlfriend after shattering the world record was pure fantasy. Similarly, the icy-sweet viral moment between Tara Davis-Woodhall and her husband after her gold medal win in long jump was a heartwarming picture of love and support. They hugged each other almost bruising their lungs in the tightest of embraces.

I was enthralled by the display of athletic prowess exhibited by Gaby Thomas, the Harvard graduate and reigning Olympic 200-meter champion. Her recent interview revealed the potency of positive thinking and visualization, through which she manifested her championship status even before stepping onto the starting block. Ultimately, it is about giving one's best effort. I believe she is a role model for countless young girls due to her significant impact beyond the sporting arena, particularly in the realm of global health.

The striking lesson I have learned from the Olympics over the years is to compete only with oneself. Rather than comparing yourself to others, set and achieve your own goals while striving to surpass your previous achievements. For instance, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has broken her own 400-meter hurdles world record an astonishing six times, with the current record standing at 50.37 seconds. In 2009, Usain Bolt shattered his own 100-meter record, setting a new benchmark of 9.58 seconds, a feat that remains unmatched.

I conclude with the words of Michael Phelps: "If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren't willing to do."

IDEAS ARE CURRENCY

“What is the most resilient parasite?Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient. . . highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed — fully understood — that sticks; right in there somewhere” 

 - Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception (2010)

Ideas pop up in our brains every day and some have a wonder to them that can set a series of far-reaching success. And can change EVERYTHING. That's why you have to turn your ideas real. It is easy to assume that you need extreme preparation and connections to make it work, but sometimes you just have to take the first step and that could be wildly exhilarating! 

 

 As you are manifesting your ideas in to reality and monetising them, you got to protect yourself from cancerous thieves ready to kick you in the balls. Because an idea is not enough. This brings me to the concept of intellectual property. An intellectual property in its purest form is an idea. Through patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets we protect our ideas. 

 

Apple, Google and Microsoft thrive not just on their physical products but on the innovative ideas that propel their development. Bill Gates has built an empire by creating patents on software. In so doing became a billionaire and one of the richest men in the world. Patents are essentially grants that enable the inventor to maintain monopoly on the use and development of an invention for a limited time. Ideally within that time, you should have made money off it, whether through licensing or selling it out to companies or building your own company. 

 

The Starbucks Frappuccino, KFC and Krispy Kreme recipes and formulations remain as trade secrets. Companies use trade secrets to protect their intellectual assets such as recipe, manufacturing process or technology. Far apart from patents, they are supposed to be undisclosed and not go into the public domain. In this way, competitors in the marketplace don't gain access to the formula. And if someone happens leak your trade secret, you can sue for misappropriation provided a non-disclosure agreement was signed beforehand. 

 

 It was in 2017 that Kylie Minogue put Kylie Jenner through the grinder by preventing her from trademarking their shared first name “Kylie” for her then-soon-to-launched beauty brand. The well-known fact is that trademarks give one the exclusive rights to use a word, logo or phrase in a particular country and industry (niche). Hence, if Kylie had been successful with trademarking the name, no one else could use the brand identity without facing the legal battle of infringement. 

 

 Copyrights, on the other hand, are meant to give protection over creative works such as books, movies, music and characters (among others). Unlike trademarks, copyrights don't have to be registered. For example, if you sample a hit song, you have to give a big portion of the track to the original copyright holders, songwriters and producers of the song. This merit of compensation is typically referred to as Royalty. 

 

During the press run for Creed III, the ninth film in the Rocky franchise, I heard of the poignant rift between Sylvester Stallone and Irwin Winkler. Apparently, Stallone had ignorantly and naively sold the rights to the Film because he was a struggling actor at that time and had no idea how potentially massive it was going to be. So before signing any agreement or contract, thoroughly read through and red line it, before signing away your life, image...and rights. 

 

 The real currency is your ideas, so protect them! 

 

Image Source: Freepik 

 

#Food4thought #Idea #Currency