Fast Swimming...

Every athlete who participates in sport is faced with one reality. There is a time limit which to perform. What sort of success will follow you throughout your career? You know that you do have a choice.

What kind of message do I want my performance to proclaim? You have a choice. How will you be remembered when your time in the sport is over? What kind of part will you have? You have a choice. Am I taking on the leadership role? Or am I just playing the part of a follower? You have a choice. What is my purpose? Will I swim fast? You have a choice.

From these questions you will discover the "best" swim fast on purpose. In their minds they create the "stage" to produce great performances. You should think of your purpose in swimming as well as in life as your message. What is your performance to say?

Not everyone can break team, state, national and ultimately, world records. If your desire is to be among the best then your key lies in establishing your purpose. For anything to be successful, all must have a purpose. It is your choice. In an award winning movie every word, movement, lighting and scene deliver a message. Everything has a reason. Each yard you swim, each practice set, the in season training competitions have their distinct purpose in your championship performance.

Swimming fast on purpose means competing in training and competitions from your heart. Your collective efforts during daily training must be a reflection of what is happening inside your heart. Great performances are created internally, flowing from the heart as one takes ownership of ability and performance.

Swimming fast on purpose means identifying with victory in all its forms and allowing your actions to reflect this decision. There are two characteristics that all athletes entertain in their minds, victory and defeat. Victory sees life from the viewpoint of advantage and winning. Defeat looks at the same set of circumstances from the perspective of disadvantage and losing.

Whichever character we identify with more often will be reflected in our own actions. The benefit of recognizing this conflict is to identify that there is truly a choice. The amount of energy spent embracing either character is exactly the same. The differences are evident in the results.

Swimming fast on purpose is realizing that you do not have to be perfect to be great.

We can not and will not be perfect. If we were perfect then there would be no room for improvement. As in all of lives aspects we all want to do better as we go along then when we started. The focus should not be on how not to fail. When you do fail re-focus on the knowledge that you will rise again a bit wiser, a bit stronger, and a little bit better than before. With each challenge you will realize that you are gaining more confidence and assurance that you are moving closer to your ultimate victory.

To be great you must swim fast on purpose. You have to be willing to stand out, even dare to be different. Great individuals, in the pool and in life, reach high levels of performance by breaking molds and establishing new standards. The great performers leave impressions on us because they awaken the greatness that is inside ourselves.

Swimming fast on purpose is attainable to everyone who is willing to commit to doing what we can with what we have right where we are. Do you have what it takes to be great? I say yes you do.

You have a choice. Dare to be great. Swimming fast on purpose starts today.