Tap into your inner Warrior...

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Bonnie St. John, Olympic Ski Medalist, Author, President, Blue Circle Leadership

Early on, Bonnie St. John was dealt some serious cards to handle in life. Her leg was amputated when she was only five years old, and she also dealt with an abusive stepfather. It seemed like the odds were against her, but Bonnie rose to the occasion and took control. Today, she’s known for becoming the first African American to win medals in a Winter Olympic competition, has written six books, graduated with honors from Harvard, earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and worked in the White House as an economic advisor during the Clinton Administration.

Check out Bonnie's strategies to help you tap into your inner warrior.

Define yourself
I'm a one-legged, African American woman who grew up in San Diego with no snow and no money. If I let my circumstances or other people define me, I would never have become an international ski racer. YOU have to define yourself. Don't let others define you.

Confidence is a muscle
Nobody's born courageous—you develop courage. I was teased a lot as a child, which taught me to stand tall, look people in the eye, smile, and deal with their expectations of who they think I am and what they think I can do. If you're scared of asserting yourself, just push through the fear and do it. Whatever it is that gets you out of your comfort zone, build on it.

Fall down, get up faster
We live in a world where falling down is normal. If you're working on your inner warrior, get comfortable with it. If you never fall, you're not really learning anything. Once, I was ahead in a skiing race, but in the second run, everyone fell because of a dangerous spot. I was beaten by a woman who got up faster than I did. I learned that people fall down, winners get up, and gold medal winners just get up faster.

Take time to restore yourself
There's so much in the world that can tear you down, so make time to build yourself back up. One of the hardest things I ever did was recover from the abuse in my childhood. I saw a therapist, relied on friends, and found solace in nature. But for me, prayer was part of what gave me the strength to do all of those other things.

Aim high
I was in Los Angeles speaking to a group of teens back at the hospital where my leg was amputated. At the end of my speech, a woman asked if her son had a chance of leading a normal life, though he had been severely burned. I froze up at first because I couldn’t tell her what she wanted to hear, but then I blurted out, “No. Aim higher.” We can choose extraordinary, even when normal's not an option.