I had this whole thing written about my second rhythm lesson this past week, but as sometimes happens, I realized after writing it that I actually wanted to focus on something else. So I started over.
Tag: dance
Turn Right…Recalculating…
So remember the awesome new line of communication with my body I was discovering? Well, I think there’s a short.
We worked on rhythm in today’s lesson, specifically rumba and cha cha. Teacher wanted me to focus on foot pressure and core. I did…ok.
Don’t Give Up!
(Warning, cheesy motivational post!)
Originally posted on the Girl with the Tree Tattoo Facebook and Instagram pages, I felt like sharing it here too.
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I thought I was done competing in ballroom for at least a year after CalOpen in February. Now I’m working toward going to TWO comps before the end of 2016.
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I had major doubts about my dancing, feeling like my progress had plateaued with no goal to work toward. Then I had my first coaching and the coach was “super impressed.”
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After the last jump in the Amazon ranks, my eBook “Dance Diaries: Learning Ballroom Dance” did nothing but fall every time I looked at it. I felt like my marketing efforts were having no effect. Then I woke up this morning and it’s back in the top 20 in its category.
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The common denominator is I never gave up.
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Even after I resigned to not being able to compete, I have kept working on ways to boost my income so I could afford it. I still go to my dance lessons and work hard, staying 100% present as much as I can, even when I can’t feel any progress and all I have on the horizon is another lesson. And I still work to find new ways to reach the right people about Dance Diaries because I know this book is just the thing for someone somewhere.
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Whatever you’re working on, don’t give up. Even when it feels like you’re on the path to failure, keep working as if it’s the path to success. Because the path to success actually feels a lot like failure. Until it’s not.
My First Coaching
I had a great Friday! It actually started on Thursday.
I was at home after work. I had finished my pilates workout, courtesy of Blogilates, and was chilling on the couch watching some crime show (I think it was Castle). Then my phone rang. It was Teacher.
Mental Smackdown – Small Disappointment, Big Doubt
The title is a bit of a misnomer; my demons aren’t controlling the content here, but they did inspire this post. So close enough!
Remember when I wrote that I was really looking forward to this past Friday’s lesson, but there was a possible scheduling conflict? Well, possibility turned into reality. My lesson was cancelled.
Now We’re Talking!
As promised, I’m hopping back onto the blog to share how my dance lesson went. But first, I would just like to announce that I completed Day 4 of the Blogilates beginner’s calendar! I did it after I came home from my lesson too. I was hungry and craving a glass of red wine. Dogs needed to be taken care of first, of course. But then instead of parking my butt on the couch with a nice merlot, I did the scheduled cardio warmup and an inner thighs workout! And yes, if you’re checking out the calendar and saying “ok, but what about the 10 burpees you were supposed to do when you woke up this morning?” I did those today too! Gold star for me!
Now for my dance lesson.
I’ve Got an Itch
I know it’s been too many days since I last wrote something when my fingers are itching to type on the keyboard even though I don’t have a clear idea of what I want to write. So I’m just going to freestyle for a bit before I have to leave for work. I also know it’s been too many days since I danced when I start having lessons in my dreams. Last night I worked on rhythm.
Support Teacher on the Star Dance Tour!
Sunday Update: Kris and Briana won the popular vote! Thank you to everyone who voted for them!
Inspiration -> Fear -> Why Not
I’ve been reading Patrice Tanaka’s Becoming Ginger Rogers. It’s a memoir and in it, Patrice shares her journey into ballroom dancing and how it changed her life. Sound familiar?
I never get tired of “life changed by ballroom” stories. Her story has so many familiar elements; it’s like reading a letter from a friend. While I was sitting in the shade by my apartment complex’s pool on Monday, she related the story of her first ballroom competition. I was, of course, instantly transported back to my own competition experiences and was struck very hard by a strong desire to be in that world again. Like right now.
Ballroom Budgeting and Return of the Waltz
Happy Monday everyone!
I write that with some sarcasm, but I do hope your Monday is happy, or at least pleasant. Not terrible?
I had a productive weekend; I submitted my next book for publishing!
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 