“The leaves are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go.” -Ashley Wolsey
It’s officially Fall!
By now we have had a few weeks to settle into new routines. Fall is such a beautiful time of transition. We may still be adjusting to major shifts in our lives, but with time, we will adjust and flourish!
Fall is a time when we set new goals for the school and dance year, gear up for the holidays, and then close out the calendar year in a flurry of activities. September is, in a way, the calm before the storm.
This fall, what can we choose to let go of?
Just as the trees change with the seasons, so can we. Here are a few ideas:
The harsh inner critic. Everyone has a voice in their head telling them things about themselves. More often than not, dancers are perfectionists. When we don’t get something right on the first try, or we have an “off” day, we tend to beat ourselves up. This is not helpful.
We need to speak to ourselves kindly. We can say things like, “That didn’t go how I wanted it to go, but I can try again”. Or, “Nobody is born knowing how to do a perfect double pirouette and neither was I. I am learning and I can set goals and ask for help to achieve them.”
Fear of the unknown. Fear of the unknown is a natural human emotion. It’s a primal instinct that we have evolved with in order to protect ourselves. However, it can do more harm than good sometimes. Fear and excitement cause the same reaction in our brain’s response.
What if we channeled fear of a new class/dance step/routine into excitement by shifting our thinking? Easier said than done, but worth the effort!
Comparison. Comparison is the thief of joy. The only competition we have in our dance classes is ourselves. We only need to strive to be better than we were yesterday. Social media only contributes to comparison and feelings of self-doubt. We need to be mindful of what we consume through our daily interactions online.
Perhaps you have a few ideas of your own to add to this list. No matter what, you’ll succeed if you give it your all this fall!
