
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 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.