There was nothing I could change.  I did my best. I set a new record for myself…  You are never too old to dream.

That was the response Olympic Champion Dara Torres gave to the reporter when asked what she would tell her now 2 year old daughter about her experience winning the 2008 Olympic Silver Medal. Like the competitor to Michael Phelps, Ms. Torres missed Olympic Gold by one one-hundredths of a second.  The life wisdom she shares applies to us all.

• Live in the moment.
• Don’t put an age limit on your dreams.
• When you are more mature, you see things from a different perspective.
• Believe in yourself.

Watch the MSNBC interview.

Talented, dedicated, and strong, Dara Torres also knows the value of a support team. She relies on three coaches, two stretchers, two masseuses, a chiropractor and a nanny to excel.  She gives credit to those coaches who helped her switch gears from questioning what she might have done differently after losing the sought-after gold medal just moments before, to focusing solely on the next event. The relay.

Although this was her 11th medal in her fifth Olympic competition, this event was also an experience of firsts.

• First swimmer from United States to compete in 5 Olympics
• Unprecedented for a woman, Torres came back for a spot in her 5th Olympics games after sitting out the 1996 and 2004 Olympics.
• First woman in history to swim in the Olympics past the age of 40
• Her Olympic career spans 24 years

Ms. Torres story is unique among swimmers and Olympians, but not unique among leaders. Life is about a mindset. And a successful life is determined by how we think.

Is she perfect? No. Divorced twice. Not married to the father of her daughter, Tessa. But who are we to judge? Is your life perfect? Have you held only good cards in your life? I know I haven’t.

Respected by his peers, author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote such books as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Deprived of health most of his life, he still managed to live an amazingly full life right up until the moment of his death at the young age of 44. His philosophy?

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

Are you playing your cards well? Do you allow yourself to dream, regardless of circumstances? Short, sweet, and to the point, I hope this wisdom sustains and inspires you to fill your life with as much living as is possible. Whatever your age. Whatever your circumstances.

Don’t limit yourself. Dream.

Resources: Check out Dara Torres Bio (Opens in New Window)