I had this powerful dream the other night which I have to share with you.

It relates to a situation I have been going through over the past year.  I find that if you have been thinking about something a lot, your mind has a way of incorporating those thoughts into your dreams.

Do the following sound familiar to you?  These were all statements that I said before or during my first day at a fitness Bootcamp yesterday. It didn’t hit me until after that I use too many excuses.

“I am going a bit slower today BECAUSE I didn’t sleep well last night” – said as I was hiking

“I am taking my time down the hill BECAUSE I sprained my ankle” – on the way down

“I’m nervous to start this program BECAUSE I’ll look like a beginner” – in the car before Bootcamp

Or maybe some of these sound familiar to you....

I saw Michael Phelps compete at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Victoria, B.C. in 2006.  I am a fellow swimmer and find him, like many of his fans, inspiring to watch.  Prior to this time, I had only seen him on magazine covers, talk shows, and at the 2004 Olympics.  I will admit that before seeing him, I thought he was this amazingly talented swimmer who had innate talent and did not have to practice.  Also, I thought because he was a celebrity he was somehow different than other swimmers.   However, when seeing him in this environment, my views changed and I became even more impressed with him.   I realized he works extremely hard and that all those medals are well-deserved. He is human like the rest of us.  He may have the physical strength yet it is his mental strength that I admire most and makes him excel.