Being Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

This comes from Stephanie in response to last week’s comments about Learning to Dance. Thanks for sharing your insights. We are all beginners at something. To prosper we must move into new realms, both in our thoughts and our actions.

“I really enjoyed your last blog post and it got me thinking about my own experiences with this. For me, and almost all of the girls on my team at UCLA, weight lifting was a huge area where we felt uncomfortable and unwilling to commit. We felt out of place in the weight room with huge football players and rap music; we were afraid of getting "bulky" or looking silly in front of teammates and other athletes; we were afraid of acting too "manly" by lifting heavy and committing athletically; we were uncomfortable learning something new that wasn't swimming. In retrospect, my times of greatest success in the pool were times when I was also excelling in the weight room. I know that girls always struggle with image and identity as athletes, especially in a co-ed sport in high school. Maybe this insight will help you communicate to the girls on North Bay that being strong out of the pool doesn't mean they are "manly" or bulky; it just means they are better, stronger athletes.”

Excellent insight from one who has been there, done that. Get fitter; get stronger; get faster!

Thanks Stephanie!