We can be our own worst enemy. We hang on to that which hurts us, ignore our own internal signals, and hold ourselves back, often out of fear. In college I took up ballroom dancing and I was pretty good. After graduation, life happened, and I stopped dancing for 10 years. When I finally went back I was recovering from a knee injury, wasn’t sure how many patterns I remembered, and I was in a new town where I didn’t know anyone. It was super hard to attend those first few Friday night practice dances. I was nervous about not remembering what I was doing, and I’ve always been naturally shy. I really wanted to dance, but no one asked me because they were accustomed to dancing with people they already knew. After about a month I realized if I was going to dance, I had better start getting to know some people. I let go of all the junk in my head and started asking guys to dance. Surprise, surprise, they were all very nice and they all said, “Yes.” Eventually, I made friends and the regular dancers got to know me.
Sometimes, I still get nervous about asking people to dance. Occasionally, they do say, “No.” And that’s ok. I really love dancing and I have learned all the fun I experience by letting go of my fears far outweighs the anxiety laden half-comfort I feel when hiding in my own little space. Whether it is internal or external, let go of what is holding you back and do what you know is right for you.