Hi Friends!
Have you ever tried something new and wished you were an instant expert at it? Wouldn’t it be great if we could skip the awkward learning phase and go straight to fantastic? Whether it’s beginning a new career, a new relationship, taking up yoga, or anything else, sometimes we get down on ourselves if it doesn’t feel perfect and natural right away. We have to catch ourselves doing this and remember that wanting to be a master at something we’ve just begun is usually unrealistic.
When I first began learning the paso doble (an intense ballroom dance), I felt so awkward. Even though my steps were right, I felt like I looked stupid, and because I was a ballroom instructor at the time, I wanted to look perfect and natural. I told my dance partner how awkward I felt, and he gave me great advice. “Melanie, it’s going to feel awkward until it becomes a habit. That’s natural. But let me tell you this: it will look better long before it feels better. It looks fine right now. You’re doing well. Just know that it may take some time until you feel that it looks good. When you do it enough times, it will feel more natural.”
When he said that, I breathed a sigh of relief. I needed to start encouraging myself and enjoying the learning process. If you’re beginning something new, just know that even when you doubt yourself, if you love what you’re doing, keep going! Encourage yourself, and remember that self-confidence comes with doing something over and over again. Just keep going!
Sending you love and encouragement,
Melanie Jade 🙂
