Well, hello there and welcome back to From the Top! I hope you all are doing well this lovely Friday afternoon! Today we are a discussing a more serious topic on the blog, which is the subject of perseverance in the dance industry. As I’m sure you know, being a dancer is rewarding in so many ways. We are blessed to say that we are literally living our passion every single day! But of course, just like in every other profession, each career path comes with its set of challenges. A part of being a dancer is being exposed to two different sides: One side being doing what we love as a profession and all of the sweet victories that come with all of our hard work, and the other side is being exposed to situations such as rejection, injuries and being denied opportunities that we may have really wanted. This, my friends, is where perseverance comes into play. Perseverance says, “though it may be tough and though I may be going through a small rough patch at the moment, this what I’m destined to do and I will keep going.”
Perseverance is absolutely necessary when it comes to being a dancer, especially if your desire is to do so professionally. It is one of the most important attributes to take along with you to help you get to where you want to be in your journey. The gaining of perseverance is totally a mental practice. During times in your journey where things may look bleak or aren’t necessarily not going in your favor, perseverance is what keeps you grounded and unmoveable. It is the absolute perfect example of putting mind over matter. Now, I’m not saying that you won’t have your moments where you will need to be real with yourself and express just how you feel or maybe even cry during the hard times. To persevere doesn’t mean that you become completely numb to your feelings and emotions. It just simply means that your going to follow your dreams no matter what comes your way.
So, now that you have gained a sense of perseverance, how exactly do you keep it? Well, a great way to keep your sense of perseverance is to always keep your eyes on the prize, meaning, always keep your goals in mind and stay focused on getting where you want to be in your career. There may come times where things may not go entirely “according to plan” but when you encounter a bump in the road, please don’t be afraid to roll with the punches. The second way to keep yourself grounded and keep your sense of perseverance burning strong is by always remembering the why. Remember why you began dancing in the first place, why you love being a dancer and why you want to make this your career. Always remember the love and passion that you felt at the very beginning of this journey and how it filled you with the desire to do this for as long as you possibly can. Let that feeling be the fuel that keeps you going because there is absolutely no better feeling than doing what you love and reaching a level of success while doing it.
So in parting, the key to perseverance is to never give up. On the other side of any bumps in the road that you may encounter, is bright and shining success. Keep going, keep pushing, use every “no” as a stepping stone and keep your eye on the prize. I promise that if you just stick to your goals and stay committed to your passion, you’ll be able to look back on your journey and say “Wow, I did it. I really did it!”
I hope this post was able to help give you the pep talk that you may have needed to keep striving on your journey and persevere. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today and I’ll see you in the next post.
Keep dancing!
-Lexi
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