DREAMS DON'T WORK UNLESS YOU DO

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” - Benjamin Disraeli

Wow. This statement is very true. I have been in the teaching business for over 2 decades now, and I can’t count the times I have heard unhappy dancers say, “I wish I could do that,” or “I will work on that.” Problem is, most of the time, there is all this talk without any action. Therefore, the dancer remains unhappy. There is really no motivation to ever really work to improve. The desire to "want it" and the desire to "work for it" are two very different things. It’s not very smart to expect a different result from doing the same thing over and over, or lack of doing in some cases. Unfortunately, laziness is a part of human nature. You have to fight it. Combine that with the ultimate age of entitlement, and boy, do we really have a problem!!! Just because entitlement runs rampant, doesn't mean is it or should be acceptable. Your body will only do what you demand it to do. To be good at something, you must constantly strive for excellence, never settling, and being careful not to become complacent.

TAKE ACTION! Dancers, if you don’t like where you are technically, or where you stand with movement quality, style, or musicality,  make a change. Try to apply all the corrections that your teacher or teachers have given you EVER TIME, not just occasionally when you feel like it. If you actually make a conscious effort to apply the knowledge you have, working hard to make each correction every single time, listen to your music and move accordingly, you WILL notice a difference. Some things you may notice quickly and others may take time, but you are still working towards your goal instead of just talking about your goal. No one can make a change for you. Only you can make a difference in the outcome!

Some dancers truly THINK they are working towards the goal and towards improvement. They are confused by energy. Energy doesn't equal effort.* If you are working and not seeing the results you would like, take a step back and re-evaluate. Yes, sometimes it is the training you are receiving, but more often than not, the problem is staring back at you in the mirror. Please don't just read the first half of the previous sentence. Just in case you did, I'll repeat myself. More often than not, the problem with lack of results is staring back at you in the mirror... 99.9% of the time. It's an easy fix really, but it isn't easy to do. Re-evaluate the way you take class and practice. Are you really applying ALL the corrections ALL the time? You can change your course with the decision to change the way you listen in class, engage in class, and work inside and outside the classroom.

It is said that you have a fresh start with a new year. What better time than now to start taking action?  You won’t always be happy. There isn't a dancer on earth who is always completely happy with everything. You will have to dance hard, and most importantly dance smart*, which may not come easily at first. But if you don’t take action, you will never be satisfied with the outcome. You have the control and the power! Like the Nike slogan says, "Just do it!" Make THIS your year! I am making this my year! Join me!

Dance hard. Dance smart.
Meredith
thecompetitiveedgebymeredith.blogspot.com

*To learn more about dancing smart and what it means, please read my post “Are You Dancing Smart?"

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