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Greg Louganis is the only male diver in Olympic history to sweep the diving events in consecutive games, winning gold medals in 1984 and 1988 in the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform events.
Greg is famous as an Olympian, but he’s also an LGBTQ+ activist, author, motivational speaker, and the creator of “Finding Your Rhythm.” His course is designed to help you find your inner power and achieve your goals through visualization.
BEING A GAY ATHLETE IN THE 80S
The 80s weren’t a friendly time for the LGBTQ+ community. Greg was out to his friends, family, and the US diving team; however, his identity was hidden from the rest of the world so he wouldn’t lose sponsors or commercial endorsements. So, why did he finally choose to come out and share his HIV status?
In the early 90s, he was acting in a play in New York and the character he portrayed allowed him to face his fears. There was still so much stigma surrounding HIV and there certainly wasn’t compassion for people who were HIV positive. He wanted to write a book to change those negative perceptions.
THE POWER OF VISUALIZATION
Greg started performing on stage as a child. During one of his rehearsals, they adjusted some of his choreography. His teacher took him aside and asked him to imagine the changes instead of physically dancing through them. After four times listening through the music and visualizing, he was ready. That was the day he learned the power of visualization.
As adults, when you start doing visualization work, you’re often left wondering if you’re doing it right. Greg learned that if you approach visualization as a game and just practice, you’ll develop awareness. Greg designed “Finding Your Rhythm” to help people tap into things they love via their senses. The more real you can make the experience, the greater the benefit.
FINDING YOUR INNER CHAMPION
Greg points out that a dive takes less than three seconds. That three seconds is your creation and once that moment of creation is done, it’s a snowflake. It can never be replicated. A huge part of the success of those dives is being able to visualize every part of those three seconds.
That’s why Greg believes visualization is powerful to learn as young as possible. When you’re confronted with challenges, you can visualize the ways to overcome those challenges using your imagination. You’re more prepared and able to make the adjustments necessary, and be present to enjoy the experience.
Everything has a rhythm; you just have to listen and pay attention. Tapping into the correct rhythm is what success is all about.
Listen to this episode to learn about...
- [1:09] The difficulty of being a gay athlete in the 1980s
- [3:49] Why Greg publicly shared his HIV-positive status
- [7:41] How Greg learned the power of visualization as a child
- [16:09] How to tap into your rhythm and find happiness
- [22:16] Greg’s course, Finding Your Rhythm
Listen to the bonus episode to learn why our true identity always shines through and why we should celebrate our uniqueness.
Resources:
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Connect with Greg on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube
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Learn more about Greg's course, Finding Your Rhythm, and get an exclusive 20% off using code FYRxNSLS
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Check out other Motivational Mondays episodes
