I have often been the target of jokes about my dancing by friends and family. I have been called awkward, un-coordinated, no sense of rhythm and that I was as graceless as a rhinoceros.

Recently, a friend who has been diagnosed with a neurological condition started taking exercise classes. The first lesson was doing the Macarena. My friend was possibly the only person in Australia over 25 who has never danced the Macarena. He found it fun and enjoyable. A few days later some of us started doing the Macarena spontaneously where I volunteer. It was joyous and fun as well as beneficial for our mental health.

When one sees dancing competitions one often feels it is futile to dance as one can never get close to the skills of the contestants.

I have wondered, do we feel consumed with so much fear we may fail so we don’t even bother to give something a chance. Being imprisoned by our own thoughts and hurtful comments from the past, will we not try anything new or have a go again at a skill we want to improve. 

Is there anything that you have had a negative experience with in the past so that now you are afraid to try again? Maybe you have tried again and can you share the experience.

Have you tried a sport, creative movement, writing, travel or anything that you have stopped doing because you didn’t feel it was good enough?

Leah 

A Moodscope member