Happy December! I hope you had a good Thanksgiving and a productive, fit November. If you are feeling good about your progress you have made, that’s great! And if not, it’s a new day and new month to keep stepping in the direction you want to go.

I taught a Broadway Jazz class this past week made up of mainly 8 and 9-year-olds. Throughout the class, I watched them try everything I asked them to do; jumps, leaps, turns, the works. For some dancers, success was immediate while others took several tries to get it right. The thing that stood out to me was that not one of them said “I can’t do that”. That thought never crossed their minds. I was also struck by how genuinely excited they got for each other’s successes. It made my day to see them encouraging and cheering for each other. That is one of the many reasons why I love teaching dance classes.

Later that day I went to the gym and tried to take on my students’ empowering mentality. What happened? I increased the weight in every single one of my lifts. It was awesome. Then, I started thinking about what happens to grown-ups after they grow up; why all the self-doubt? Are we afraid of failure? Don’t want to embarrass ourselves? It’s probably a combination of factors that slowly reduces our can-do attitude but my students reminded me that it’s never too late to bring that confidence back. What would happen if we let ourselves live like kids during our workout, our dance class, or while trying to cook a new recipe for the family at home? Would we look silly or maybe reach a long time goal? I’m willing to find out!

I want to challenge all of you to try something out of your comfort zone this month. Think you’re a modern or ballet dancer, but always wanted to try hip-hop or tap? Go for it! Wanted to try Zumba®, but afraid you can’t keep up? Go try it anyway! How about Flamenco or Belly Dance? One of the greatest things about the adult classes at Joy of Motion Dance Center is that they are one of the safest, most supportive environments to do something out of your comfort zone. If you take my challenge, let me know in the comments what class you tried. I would love to hear from you! I’m going to be challenging myself also to go past my self-perceived limits. Remember the first step is always the hardest and then you’ll be off to a new, stronger, better you.