Do you believe you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it?

Question:I am currently reading the book "Dancer" by Lorri Hewett and I am amazed by the main character, Stephanie, and how dedicated she is to ballet. This past evening, I was at ballet class and latley I have been discouraged with it. I feel like other girls are always better than me, so why do I even try? So today we were at barre and we were doing a balance in first arabasque. I was thinking to myself *ugh my leg is never going to be as high as -so and so's-, so why even bother?* but then I remembered the character Stephanie and it gave me the passion to really set my mind and work hard on keeping a perfect arabasque. So I did, and surprisingly I balanced and stayed up--for quite awhile! The teacher noticed and said "Good job, that looks beautiful!". Since that moment, I can't stop thinking about what I could accomplish if I set my mind to it. Have any of you fellow dancers had this moment of pride in your dancing life? If so, please explain! I want to know if anyone else agrees.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am currently reading the book "Dancer" by Lorri Hewett and I am amazed by the main character, Stephanie, and how dedicated she is to ballet. This past evening, I was at ballet class and latley I have been discouraged with it. I feel like other girls are always better than me, so why do I even try? So today we were at barre and we were doing a balance in first arabasque. I was thinking to myself *ugh my leg is never going to be as high as -so and so's-, so why even bother?* but then I remembered the character Stephanie and it gave me the passion to really set my mind and work hard on keeping a perfect arabasque. So I did, and surprisingly I balanced and stayed up--for quite awhile! The teacher noticed and said "Good job, that looks beautiful!". Since that moment, I can't stop thinking about what I could accomplish if I set my mind to it. Have any of you fellow dancers had this moment of pride in your dancing life? If so, please explain! I want to know if anyone else agrees.

i totally can relate to you. dancing all comes from your heart and your mind plays a huge role in this as well. if you honestly dedicate yourself to the art, i believe that you CAN accomplish anything.
example:
i really wanted to improve my turns, so before i went to bed every nigth, i set a goal for myself or how many turns i wanted to do. after a while, i statred getting 5 clean, consistant pirouttes! i mean, obviously technique plays a huge part in dance. but it really all is about mind control and what you are telling your body to do.

thanks for posting this, it was really nice to read :] it made my day a little bit brighter.

I am not a dancer, but I am a teacher, and I can assure you that visualization and being in the present moment can enhance performance. This is what you have experienced with your arabesque. Athletes do this all the time (Tiger Woods, for instance). Musicians as well (such as jazz musicians). I don't mean visualization as in meditation and so forth. I am talking about a way of mentally keeping one split-second ahead of what you are doing physically, forgetting all else. You are in a creative " zone". Musicians do this while reading music because they are reading the notes ahead of what their playing, or while improvising (they must envision what they are going to play one split-second ahead of actually doing it). Confidence and self-esteem (and passion!) play a huge role in this phenomenon. Surely identifying and visualizing your goals provides a road map for reaching those goals. Questions to think about: How important is it to you, and how badly do you want it? Self-doubt is poisonous. Follow your heart - if you absolutely love what you are doing it is right for you. Trust your feelings. If it's stressful and not much fun, maybe it's not for you. You'll find something else that is right for you. Also remember that 90% of success is simply showing up. Be there to learn from your successes and mistakes. Be willing to take risks, regardless of how foolish you might appear. Those who stay in the safe zone do not progress. Keep in mind, too, that even if you are not perfect at one thing you can make up for it with other strengths. Focus on those strengths and they will lead you in the right direction.