Always be proud of what you have achieved, of the strength you have worked to gain. This Nike Women ad says it best. Others will always be there to tear you down, to tell you you're not good enough, strong enough, fast enough, small enough, important enough. Don't believe it. Don't base your self worth on others opinions.
No one is perfect. Everyone has something they want to change, but embracing our differences is what makes us great, it's what makes us unique, and therein lies our strength.
Whether your arms are muscular or thin, your thighs are large or small, or your butt is round or flat, embrace them because they are yours and you have earned the right to accept your own body.
You have earned the right to love who you are and use every part of your being to embrace life.
How is this photo for motivation? This takes skill, flexibility and years of practice and study. Sofia Boutella is such an amazing inspiration. She is an amazing dancer and motivator. Every time I see her she is working on something new, practicing to get better and stronger in her sport.
I constantly need to be getting motivation from somewhere and Sofia Boutella provides that extra push I need to get out the door and go to work. Check out some of her videos on youtube, they are nothing short of amazing.
Check out her bonus ab workout on the Nike Training Club app for iphone or on youtube. It is an incredible workout and will leave your abs burning. You'll be busting some of your own dance moves in no time.
I don't think I can really say anything to make this video any more meaningful to you. So my praise goes to Nike; thanks for making another amazing video and inspiring me to better myself and train as if my breath and life depended on it.
Passion. Drive. Desire. These are all a part of the pursuit. It is the pursuit that makes reaching my goals so rewarding. It's the challenges that come up along the way that make the pursuit so great. I can think of no greater team to demonstrate this than the United States Women's National Team (soccer). They have been pursuing greatness for so long and just recently their regular season was cancelled on the heels of an incredible season ending in a heartbreaking loss to Japan in the World Cup.
The funny thing is it's the loss that defines this team more than a win would have. The USWNT went on to share their story after the games many times and the fire in their eyes shows how much they want to come back and win in 2012. The team practices unrelentingly and works so hard every day. Each girl on the team is inspirational to me and Hope Solo is my absolute favorite player. In every game she is the last defense and always sacrifices herself for her team. She is strong and passionate about the game, always pursuing perfection. But a goalie can never be perfect, they can only pursue perfection, and in that pursuit she finds her passion.
No matter what I do and how many times I succeed or fail, it will always be the pursuit that makes my dreams truly worth reaching for.
The Superbowl this past Sunday was a huge hit among both men and women. If anyone has been following espnW this weekend they would have seen the recent stats they have been sharing about women's increased participation in watching the game (44%) and purchasing NFL memorabilia.
Women are starting to participate more and more in sports and sporting events and are becoming a huge target market. Women have every right to be involved both on and off the field and it is about time that they are recognized as the large market that they are.
I know I have always enjoyed both playing and watching sports. Nothing could tear me away from the Australian Open this year. Part of my obsession with tennis is the fact that women and men are treated on an equal level. Both men and women share equal prize money and equal television coverage at the Grand Slams. The tennis tour has discovered that women are integral in sports and are working to equalize their pay and tournaments across the globe. It is only a matter of time before other sports take note and women begin to share equal time with their male counterparts.
For more info on women and sports check out espnW.com and NikeWomen.com. Both are great resources for information on women and their pursuits in the sporting world.
Dreams aren't born of nothing. They are made of blood, sweat and tears. It takes discipline, faith and a little bit of luck to truly reach your grandest and most challenging dreams. The beauty of having and maintaining a dream is that there is always the chance that that dream will come true. Don't give up on your dreams, never let them go because you never know when you may get a chance to pursue exactly what you have been dreaming about.
No one ever achieved success without failing a few times first. Steve Jobs was asked to leave the company he founded and he did. But he came back even stronger, he never gave up hope and never gave up on his dreams. He had every right to just walk away and forget about his company, but he didn't give up - he believed.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. H didn't give up, instead he went and practiced, believed and worked. He would not give up on his dreams and it paid dividends for him. He became arguably the best basketball player of all time and has an entire brand at Nike named after him (Jordan Brand). Not too bad for someone who wasn't even considered a good enough player to be on high school team.
Everyone falls, everyone fails, everyone has dreams. The difference between success and failure is how may times you get back up. To fail is to experience life. There is nothing to be afraid of. In fact, we should embrace failure, because with failure comes success.
I don't want to live someone else's dream. I want to live my own dream and that means traveling into uncharted territory, charting my own course and having my own failures that will lead to my ultimate success. I have been turned down by Nike a few times, which is my ultimate dream company to work for, but I won't ever stop trying, because each of those failures have taught me about myself and helped me to learn more about the company I admire. When the opportunity presents itself, I will be ready to embrace my dream, because I will know that I have put in the hard work and I deserve to be successful and live my dream.
A motivational video to give you some inspiration.
Today is National Girls and Women in sports day. What a great way to spend a Wednesday. With all of the advances in women's sports lately it is important to celebrate how women achieve success in sports.
Girls need to know that sports are making a difference in women's lives everywhere and setting aside a special day to recognize that is an incredible opportunity. With the rise of espnW, Nike Women, the US Women's National Soccer team, the WTA and many other women-focused organizations it is no wonder that we are celebrating our successes and ability to enhance other women's lives through sports.
Women need to press forward and continue reaching for higher and higher goals. Never give up, never back down, and never stop.
