Dream Big, Dream Real - Diana Nyad's Inspirational Story

Diana Nyad's current initiative—to revive in us humans the sense of our own potential as she explores hers—seems to go very well with this. The ocean is vast and so is human potential. As alien a place as it may seem to us, at night, out in the middle of nowhere, the ocean is a somewhere, as mysterious and glorious as anything imaginable.
--Candace Hogan, reporting from aboard Quest in the Florida Straits

Diana Nyad, former Olympic endurance swimmer, now 62 (turns 63 tomorrow), set out to swim from the coast of Cuba to the coast of Florida and almost did it! She's an inspiration to everyone around the world, but especially women in their 60s. 

She fought through hypothermia, swarms of Box Jelly fish, and a squall (a sudden storm that creates harsh winds and rains) for over 46 miles in 60 hours. What finally stopped her was the medical complications of swelling from the Box Fish school she swarm right over, causing swollen lips and tongue. I am sure she is broken-hearted, but I am also sure she isn't done trying. I expect I'll see her in the news again next year - Go Diana!

Recently I have been blogging about goals, inspirations, and setting direction in your life as I walk on my own personal development journey.  The lessons that I learned from Diana are:

1. Never, ever give up. She initiated this 20 years ago but hit Box Jelly fish and had to stop. Twenty years later she tried it again, having planned for the Jelly fish she wore a special suit to protect her from the stings; but the face and lips still exposed.

2. Goals are about direction, not necessarily accomplishing them. While I believe in S.M.A.R.T. goals which includes Realistic and Attainable, if you don't get to the finish line you are now prepared for the next go 'round. As Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed 1,000 times, I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways how not to make a light bulb." By writing down goals and creating action steps to get there, you may find that you need to change course along the way, and that's okay.

3. Get Health Focused. Ms. Nyad attempted this at an age when most people begin taking 7-10 medications a day. We are not pre-destined to be on meds, rather, we are pre-destined for life success if we are only willing to set health goals and action steps. Personally, I am in the process of re-shaping my health to ward off Diabetes and Heart Disease. She has motivated me to commit to my 3 x week sessions at Gold's Gym.

Please read her Diana Nyad's blog and consider how Ms. Nyad's triumphant effort can be an inspiration to yours.