The Games are over, emotions are resettling and there are some important lessons we can take away from the Olympics.

DESIRE: What differentiates the athlete who wins a gold medal from the one who doesn't? You haffi want it!! The problem with some people is that they don't even know what they want. In order to succeed at anything you do in life, you have to have a deep-seated, burning desire. Winning is more than a little wanting. The Olympians who made their nations proud stood out, not because they were necessarily more gifted than the rest, but because they wanted to win so very badly, the desire consumed their beings, and pushed them to give their very best and come out on top.

DISCIPLINE: Some people have the desire to do things but no discipline. They do not know where or how to start, and when they finally do, they are inconsistent and repeatedly come up short. If the Olympics teaches us anything, it is the importance of remaining disciplined. Perfect practise makes perfect. You have to develop those positive habits that guarantee that you will win every time!

DEDICATION. If you have goals and dreams that you desperately want to see fulfilled, then you have to dedicate yourself to the cause 110%. You have to give all you've got every time. Olympics pole-vaulting champion, Yelena Isinbayeva, is a clear demonstration of this. She broke her old world record after she had already won gold, doing it because she was dedicated to the sport, and to being the best pole vaulter she could be.

MENTAL PREPARATION: Half of the battle, they say, is won in your mind. You have to think you can win, believe you can win, in order to even stand a chance of actually winning. Jamaica's Usain Bolt is a very clear example of this. His confidence on- and off-track is what propelled him to win the men's double sprint races, both in record time. No-one in that stadium had any doubt that Bolt believed he could win both races, and in turn, they also believed he could do it. He proved them all right.

DETERMNATION: Obstacles will come, that is for sure, but determination is the characteristic that ensures that no matter how many obstacles you face, you persevere until you reach your desired goal. In the Olympics, you see athletes competing despite injuries and setbacks, and wonder why they do it. Jamaica's Maurice Smith had a sprained arm, and still gave his all in the decathlon. Even though he did not medal, he came in the top 10: an admirable feat, out of 40 or so athletes. It is their determination to get their gold medal, come out on top, that keep Olympians going despite the odds. We can take this lesson from them, and let our own determination propel us to work hard too.

POWER OF UNITY: The Olympics brings the world together to share one international stage, but the unity within each team is crucial. These Games teach us that in order to make such an atmosphere of progress and peace, human unity is a must. We must, as much as it lies within us, live peacefully with all men. Let the Olympics be the lesson that unity is strength, and that working to build positive relationships around you can only help to make you a better individual.

FAILURE: Too often we forget that for every handful of athletes who walk away with medals, there are others- many others- who have to learn the hard and gruelling lesson of disappointing defeat. The Olympics teaches us that tragedies, failures, disappointments are a part of life that we have to deal with, a painful part of life that we must confront and conquer. Consider countless athletes who have lost an come back in four years to win gold... and let that inspire you to also take defeats as stepping stones to your ultimate goal.