You live and you learn, right?
I think the older you get, the more you realize just how much you've accumulated over the years, and how each lesson seems to build upon what you already know. That also gives me the distinct sense that I have so much more I WANT to learn. How can I be satisfied with what I know now when I look back and see how much more I know than I did 5 years, heck, even 5 months ago?? If I had been satisfied then, I would have missed out on so much! I'm not necessarily talking about earth-shattering revelations here. I'm more astonished with the depth of knowledge and the color that tiny new experiences add to simple, standard life lessons we are taught as children.
One of my favorite quotes or "life lessons" that I learned from my momma is this:
There will ALWAYS be someone better than you. There will ALWAYS be someone who's not quite as good. Those people will ALWAYS be there. So, you just recognize that and do what you do best.
I have a tendency to focus on the people who are "better" than I am: the prettier girls, the more talented actors, the more flexible dancers, the more intelligent students, the WHATEVER, who cares? Sometimes that can be healthy. Knowing that I'm not the best can really help motivate me to work harder and do better. I often try not to think of the people who "aren't as good" at a particular skill. I don't want to be judgmental! But, I think sometimes a healthy dose of that reality can be helpful too.
I have ALWAYS doubted my dance ability. I've made a million excuses: I was an athlete. I started too late in life. I'm too tall. I'm not flexible enough. My brain just doesn't work that way. I can fake it, but don't expect it to be perfect. Again, WHATEVER, who cares?
Well, I've decided that to become a better "mover" (as they call anyone who can't do a billion pirouettes into a leap over Mt. Everest followed by a heel stretch to the ceiling and a no handed cartwheel), and to stay in shape, I'm going to take weekly dance classes. I went to the studio last night with full intentions of taking a Beginner Musical Theatre class.
Another lesson learned: go with your gut!
As I was looking at the schedule before class, I noticed a "Basic Ballet" class listed. My thought was OH, ballet! Ballet would be good for me! And yeah, it's just Basic Ballet, but I suck at ballet, so I'm sure this is the class I should go to.
Apparently, I don't totally suck at ballet! Granted, most of the people in there were taking a dance class for the first time, so comparing myself to them is not exactly an accurate measure of skill. So, I decided not to compare myself to the students in the class but to the class itself. I knew every vocabulary word she threw out at us. I knew every warm up. I caught on to the combinations immediately, and I was really able to focus on my technique. I realized right then and there that all of my classes had actually taught me a lot! I could probably move up not one, but TWO levels!
Y'ALL! I'm a dancer!!
Ok, so maybe not, but I'm not helpless. To round this all out and bring it back to the point, I guess what I'm saying is that I needed that. I needed to be reminded of where I came from and how much I've layered on top of and around what I initially learned. I also needed to be reminded that more challenging classes (or to broaden the scope, more risks) are all teaching lessons, not tests that I have to pass. Basic Ballet was a test that I passed without even studying or listening to the teacher, if you want a metaphor. I learn nothing from those tests if I take them over and over again.
So, here I am, accepting the challenge my mom put forth when I was but a wee child. I'm going to notice the people who are better than I am and work to reach that potential. I am going to recognize the people who aren't as good as I am and allow them to remind me where I've been. I'm going to keep going, keep learning, keep accepting challenges.
Sappy enough for you?
Maybe a little motivation is good for everyone.
The next blog will be more humorous, I can assure you, but I needed to get this off my chest.
Grace be with you,
Lindsey Shea
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