winner

last week i had two training clients make quite opposite but both powerful insights about themselves. one woman told me that she needed to be pushed because she doesn't believe she can push herself beyond "hard". fairly common refrain in personal training. even other trainers have told me they regularly hire trainers themselves to get that extra push beyond the comfort zone. i firmly believe we are predominantly limited by our minds..our bodies have much more capacity than we give them credit for.

the other woman though said something i have never heard from another client and regrettably don't often experience myself. she said, "I hear what you're asking me to do, and I think 'no problem', envisioning myself doing it with ease. But then, I try and my body just isn't cooperative." i reassured her that her body would catch up quickly but as we worked through the next set, my mind really went to work on that idea. it truly is the mind of an athlete. one who believes they have ability beyond what they see. this woman may voice embarrassment about her current fitness level, but the picture she has of her body's capability carries much more weight.

without a doubt she will be successful.
without a doubt she will master the challenge she faces.
without a doubt, because her mind's eye already has envisioned that reality for her.

this weekend we spent hours on the sidelines of luke's soccer tournament. of course i love watching him play, but the young female athletes always impress me too. part of it is no doubt a longing for something I missed as a kid, but setting that aside, i simply enjoy these young women and their energy. their feminine sides merged with this primitive, masculine drive to compete and win.

a little girl, about luke's age, was taking a pit stop with her parents beside me and I overheard..
"You make a good argument.."
"I know. That's why I'm going to be an attorney...not that it's my dream but I'm still going to," she replied to her dad, matter of fact.
...a few minutes pass...
as if remembering, or suddenly catching up with the dialogue, her father says, "What's your dream?"
"Fashion design."
no comment...another few minutes pass.
"I'll see you later."
"Bye honey. Don't wear yourself out before the game.."

bye honey. no time for dreaming.
bye honey. back to business now.
bye honey. win.

admittedly it was a snippet overheard. i have no idea the real nature of their relationship. i have no idea if the pre-teen aspiring fashion designer has a different dream every day. but never mind all that because this conversation happens all the time with children and parents and adults and supervisors and students and teachers with the same moral.

do what you know. play it safe. far fetched ideas about ourselves are for children.

i reject that notion. i believe far fetched ideas about ourselves..our potential.. our dreams: they are for athletes. and i, for one, am an athlete.

d: big dreams come true
b: i am an athlete
g: athletes are winners