You often hear me talk about your ‘why’ behind what you do every single day. As an athlete, I had this crazy dream of wanting to be the best in the world in the sport of triathlon, even though I didn’t know how to swim, and I started this sport at the age of 23. This was crazy. But my ‘why’ was that I was so desperate to find a love and appreciation and a respect for myself. And I knew that this process of being afraid but doing it anyway, going out and taking on something that seemed impossible – that through that process, I would not only find myself, but I would start respecting myself and honoring myself for the work that I was putting in; and for never giving up and never giving in. That ‘why’ – that reason, that purpose, that emotion behind what you’re trying to achieve in your life is what will keep you constantly striving to give everything you have to achieving that goal. That ‘why’ will help you from giving up. That ‘why’ will keep you from giving in. That ‘why’ will be the hunger that you feel that powers you through the fire, every single day. That ‘why’ is what’s behind you ultimately achieving that goal that you set for yourself.
Some people ask me, “what if you don’t know what your ‘why’ is?” And one of the things that I say to them is “what you do want your legacy to be in this lifetime?” I don’t want to be morbid but think about it. On your last day of life, what do you want people to remember about you? What do you want people to be saying about you? About what they learned from you or what you inspired them about you? What do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be about someone that had a rough start, that never gave up and never gave in, and believed that one day she would find her ultimate strength and a love for herself and then be able to share that message with the world — empowering others, touching lives with love. And with strength and compassion.
So, think about what you want your legacy to be. That probably will end up with you connecting to your ultimate reason ‘why’ what you’re working so hard to achieve every single day is. So, discover your ‘why’. Never give up on your dreams. Believe in you, and really think about the impact that achieving these goals, achieving these dreams, will have on all those around you. Good luck everybody. Shine on and love always.
