I started dancing 2 years ago as an escape to recover from the comfort zone I had created for myself. It has opened up all sorts of feelings and adventures in my life. It exposes my insecurities and forces me to acknowledge them and work on them bit by bit. Sometimes I run away and try to ignore how I feel about myself, but I’m always back on that dance floor trying again. I think of my 2 years of dancing and this past weekend was the biggest eye opener for me. I learnt more about the dance community of the world and more importantly I learnt more things about myself than I have in the last 2 years. I learnt that even the most perfect dancers have their own set of insecurities and challenges. That in order for them to be the best they put a ridiculous amount of work into their art to perfect what they do. I learnt that even though I have no desire to be a professional dancer, or to be on stage, that if I take the time to practice the techniques that I am being taught that all the insecurities I have will be dealt with through practice and determination. Most importantly I have confirmed once again that I am enough, just as I am and I don’t have to be like anybody else to feel amazing inside, if I listen to my body and I do whats best for me at all times then everything will fall into place. I learnt that sometimes people do silly things in the name of approval and hurt themselves to please other people. I am grateful to have the ability to see where I need to be and always remain rooted in my purpose.

I made a promise to myself to take all the advise I was given this weekend and use it to improve myself, not only in dance but also in every other aspect. I think the most valuable of comments that were made was “you need to get out of your mind”. I have to learn to free myself from myself and to trust my body. I need to learn the technique and then trust that my body will do what it needs to do. This is especially difficult for me because trusting myself is one of the many things I have been working on in my self discovery process and I think one of the most difficult challenges I have found that I have to face. Little by little in each aspect of my life I have been allowing myself to trust bit by bit. Nothing too big all at once, but this step in dance will be for me one of the greatest gifts I will give myself because once I learn to trust my body to do what it knows, then I will free myself of the chains my mind sometimes creates to keep me in the safe zone. I don’t need to be safe , I need to be happy, I need to be free. Freedom comes with trust and trust comes with time. the ability to trust myself fully will be my greatest accomplishment and will be my greatest gift to both myself and everyone that needs me to be a part of their journey.

Now that I have been given the tools, its time to practice what I preach and to make good on a promise that I made to myself to always be the best that I can be, and once I know better to always do better not to ignore progress and to walk through the doors that open for me confidently knowing that I am enough. I chose to share this because I think the lesson here is that its important to trust your instincts and not to second guess yourself, in any aspect of life, if you are going to grow, and succeed then you must be able to put yourself out in the world and trust that you can do everything you put your mind to, because whatever you believe to be true is true as long as you keep believing it, so choose to believe that you are capable of everything you put your mind to and trust that you are a valuable contribution to life just as you are. If you believe in your vision and your self and you set yourself free from the chains of insecurity then nothing will stop you from accomplishing everything your heart desires.

I wish you all your hearts desires and the strength to break those mental chains that keep you from being true to your vision. Be strong and remember to live life with love.

Tammy.