The Winter Olympics saw an opening ceremony that was as grand and exciting as ever. As the games unfolded, we focused on the medal winners and their stories. However, every athlete participating has achieved something extraordinary. With so much attention on Gold, Silver and Bronze, it is easy to forget how difficult it is to be in the games at all.

Focused Effort

Each athlete could chronicle years and years of hard work, pain and anguish to reach the Olympics and enter the Opening Ceremonies in the Parade of Nations. If you look at the faces of each athlete at that moment you would not see the fatigue and frustrations endured through years of focused effort.

Instead, you see radiant expressions of gratitude and expectations. While every participant would love to be a medal winner, there is a general acknowledgment that if you made it to the parade, you have every right to be proud of your accomplishments.

So guess what? The ceremony is starting, and the parade is here!

Staying Motivated

For travel advisors, the work has been arduous and with very little immediate rewards. Cancellations, rebookings, time on hold and soothing your clients’ concerns has been as grueling a set of workouts as I can imagine. Staying motivated when your endurance was spent was a challenge beyond compare. Yet you made it!

Joining the Parade

We can use any cliché to describe what we have all endured in this industry over the last two years from “unprecedented” to “unending and exhausting pivots.” It may actually feel like we are crawling into the stadium and holding each other up as we join the parade, but we are there.

I think we are now, finally, at the opening ceremonies of a whole new future in travel sales. While there may be some medals to be won, the fact that you have made it this far should make you proud. Lessons have been learned, patience has been tried, pain has been endured but you are in the opening ceremonies of a new future. Congratulations – you are in the parade!