Strive by Venus Williams Summary
Overview of Strive
In "Strive," seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams reveals her eight-step wellness strategy for finding your awesome, drawing from her battle with Sjogren's syndrome. Her accessible, diary-like approach has athletes and wellness enthusiasts buzzing: could your breakthrough be just eight steps away?
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The Champion's Mindset: Venus Williams' STRIVE Philosophy
The moment Venus Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome in 2011, her world tilted on its axis. The autoimmune disorder brought debilitating pain, fatigue, and numbness that threatened to end her illustrious tennis career. During an intensive three-week wellness program that followed, Williams had a revelation that would transform her approach to health: everything we bring to and put into our bodies determines how difficult it is for disease to exist within us. This epiphany became the foundation of her STRIVE philosophy - a refreshingly honest approach to wellness that acknowledges we don't have to do everything perfectly to achieve extraordinary results. Unlike the perfection-obsessed wellness culture dominating social media, Williams embraces a more sustainable philosophy: make it easy, make it enjoyable, make it exciting. This approach has resonated with everyone from Michelle Obama to her sister Serena, offering a timely alternative to the "no pain, no gain" mentality as burnout rates reach record highs across professions. At the heart of Williams' approach are eight daily actions that transform smart health decisions into sustainable habits. These form an easy-to-remember acronym: Observe everyone and everything around you; Appreciate all blessings; accept that Balance is imperfect; Enrich your life with growth opportunities; Soothe your body and mind; Believe in yourself; seek what Inspires you; and always STRIVE toward meaningful goals. What makes this system revolutionary is its focus on mindset rather than specific activities. It's about approaching health decisions with awareness and intention, not perfection. The program begins with a simple morning ritual - reciting the eight actions to set your intention for the day. Throughout the day, you apply each action to four key areas: diet, activities, environment, and yourself. Before bed, you reflect on how you honored each action.
Honest Observation and Appreciation: The Foundation for Change
Finding Balance and Enrichment in Daily Life
The Healing Power of Soothing Practices
Believe: The Mind-Body Connection
Inspiration and Continuous Striving
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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