A Note on Gratitude

Happy Tuesday Swimmers,

I’m feeling especially thankful today.

Maybe because it’s that time of year, or maybe because I’ve come to embrace the power of gratitude in my life.

This morning, I used every second of my 30 minute drive to the lakeside sauna drenching my mind in the things I’m grateful for.

I typically have a pretty solid morning routine: breath work, stretching, prayer, tea.

Some mornings, I wake up on the wrong side of the bed: “this muscle aches", “my knee feels stiff,” “do I really want to jump into a freezing lake right now?”

Slowly but surely I coax myself into getting up and continuing with my routine.

I remind myself I am not my thoughts, just the one who observes them — and by the time I start movin’ — I’m groovin’.

But today I realized how to hit that groove sooner — gratitude.

I begin:

“I am so grateful for my health. My body is active and healthy and I can move how I so choose — wow this is a gift.”

“I am so grateful for my friends — the community I surround myself with is so uplifting, encouraging and supportive. They make me feel like I can do anything!”

“I am so grateful for this hot tea.”

“I am so grateful for my courage — I use it to step into creative endeavors — like the podcast I just started!”

The list goes on. I feel lighter. Brighter. A smile appears on my face.

Then I thought, “How can I implement gratitude as a performance enhancer for In Depth Swim Academy athletes?”

Our next episode — 10 Ways Gratitude Makes You Faster (with accompanying journal prompt) is now live answering that question.

Have a listen, hope you enjoy.

- Olivia

MANTRA FOR THE WEEK:

“Gratitude Elevates My Performance.”