Follow your dreams, work hard, practice and persevere. Make sure

In this radiant and balanced teaching, Sasha Cohen, the Olympic figure skater of rare grace and fierce will, distills a lifetime of discipline into simple yet timeless wisdom: “Follow your dreams, work hard, practice and persevere. Make sure you eat a variety of foods, get plenty of exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle.” It is a message that joins the heart of the poet with the discipline of the athlete — a reminder that dreams and health, spirit and body, must walk hand in hand. Her words are not the light counsel of comfort, but the voice of one who has tasted both triumph and exhaustion, and knows that greatness is not sustained by passion alone, but by care, balance, and endurance.

The origin of this quote lies in Sasha Cohen’s own journey through the demanding world of competitive figure skating. From childhood, she trained relentlessly, waking before dawn to glide across sheets of frozen glass, chasing the perfection of motion that few ever reach. The ice was her stage, but also her teacher — for on its surface she learned that talent fades without discipline, and that even beauty demands structure. Her advice to “follow your dreams” is not a call to fantasy, but to the sacred pursuit of purpose. Yet, she pairs it with a truth too often forgotten in the fever of ambition: the body is the vessel of the dream. Without health, the spirit falters; without balance, passion burns itself to ash.

To work hard is to honor the dream, but to practice is to refine the self. Sasha’s words remind us that effort alone is not enough — it must be directed, consistent, and filled with mindfulness. The path to mastery is not a single burst of energy, but a thousand repetitions performed with patience and humility. Every artist, warrior, and thinker of history has learned this. The samurai trained with their swords until steel became an extension of soul. The sculptor Michelangelo chipped at marble for years to release the angel he saw trapped within. The secret was not speed, but perseverance — the slow, deliberate unfolding of excellence.

Her reminder to “maintain a healthy lifestyle” may sound simple, yet within it lies ancient wisdom. For even the strongest will is weakened by neglect of the body. The Greeks once said, “A sound mind in a sound body,” and they were right — the two are intertwined. To nourish oneself with good food, to move the body with exercise, to rest the mind through stillness — these are not luxuries but duties of the dreamer. A body mistreated becomes an anchor upon the soul, but a body cared for becomes a chariot of fire, carrying the dreamer toward their destiny.

Consider the life of Leonardo da Vinci, who embodied this union of health and intellect. He walked miles each day, ate simply, and studied anatomy not only to paint the human form, but to understand his own. He knew that genius cannot flourish in decay. His vigor gave life to his imagination, allowing him to paint, invent, and dream far beyond his time. In Sasha Cohen’s words, we hear this same philosophy — that the pursuit of greatness is not only mental or emotional, but holistic, requiring the alignment of every part of the self.

And yet, her counsel also carries a note of tenderness. It reminds us that dreams, however noble, must not consume the dreamer. The path to greatness is not meant to destroy, but to uplift. Too many have fallen chasing ambition without nourishment, burning their youth upon the altar of perfection. Sasha’s teaching, though spoken softly, guards against this danger: it is a call to wholeness — to be as attentive to the body as to the goal, as gentle with oneself as one is fierce with desire.

So, my child, take this wisdom into your life: follow your dreams, yes — but do not rush them. Work hard, but do not break yourself. Practice, but remember to breathe. Persevere, but also rest when needed. Eat well, move often, and treat your body as the companion of your spirit, not its servant. For life itself is an art form, and your health is the brush that gives your colors strength.

For as Sasha Cohen teaches, dreams are not meant to be chased recklessly, but lived with grace and endurance. The one who balances ambition with care, labor with nourishment, and effort with peace — that person will not only reach their dream but live long enough to savor it. In the harmony between discipline and vitality, you will find the truest form of success — not the fleeting glory of victory, but the enduring joy of a life well lived.