Symbols are powerful – they can give us a feeling, they carry meaning, they are global and not just for anyone to own. And even though the Olympics do not happen every year, there is an instantaneous recognition that the five rings bring to each of us as we see them. Conceived of in 1894 by Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin and then introduced in the Olympics in 1912 and then more formally adopted in 1920 they represent so much more to each of us than we could imagine. The explanation for the design is that the Olympic logo is set on a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red; it represents the five inhabited continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colors are those that appeared on all the national flags of the world at that time. Circles, connote wholeness and the interlocking of them, continuity. It would be hard to imagine the games without the five rings – they are as integral to the events as are the medals awarded to the athletes. It is great to see that there is almost always a deeper meaning behind what we see – we just need to put a bit of effort into finding out what it is and learning about it.

Loving life when I see those five rings shining brightly