Life of an Olympics Athlete vs Life of a Devotee

Realization from journey of Athletes in Olympics.

• Athletes prepare the entire life for 1 race, 1 chance to be winners. 
• The difference between a winner and a loser is not seconds but mili seconds.
• Athletes can't do it alone, they need the right ingredients:
• they need a coach
• Lot of hardwork 
• they need peers
• they need the right environment
• need to know their competition
• Path to know how to conquer the competition.
• Sometimes decorated athletes have fallen from their position - thinking they are invincible.
• They can again go back to their winning ways only by pure hard work, regulated life style and a good mentor - actually everything above. 

Similarly in devotional life all the above can apply:

• We are preparing our entire life for the moment of death. That is our final exam - have we sufficiently prepared for our final race? 
• The difference between a winner and a loser is not seconds but mili seconds. Once an athlete loses, they repent that they have wasted 4 years of their life and have to do it all over again. Our position is the same - we already have lost so many times in our previous lifetimes but still are illusioned that we are winning. Winning is when we go back Home back to Godhead. That is our gold medal. We are just getting satisfied by running the race instead of winning. 
• Devotees can't do it alone, they need the right ingredients:
• they need a coach - Spiritual Master
• Lot of hardwork  - every moment needs to be dovetailed to Krsna and service to Krsna.
• they need peers - devotee association
• they need the right environment - ISKCON movement.
• need to know their competition - Maya devi and her illusions.
• Path to know how to conquer the competition. - sincere chanting the Holy Name to get the higher tast.
• Sometimes decorated devotees have fallen from their position - thinking they are invincible due to pride.
• They can again go back to their winning ways only by pure hard work, regulated life style and a good mentor - actually everything above. 
• The bhakti lata creeper is never dead, it just gets chocked up due to the weeds growing around the creeper and we need to cut those weeds by sincere chanting of the Holy Name.
• We need the following:
• Like of eagerness, eager to serve Krsna,  surprise him on his bday
  Life of selflessness,  living for pleasing others
  Life of surrender and life of Service