For as long as I can remember, I've taken pride in my strong sense of self-esteem. Yet, despite my confidence, I found myself grappling with deep-rooted insecurities, which manifested as:
Inability to hold boundaries by saying Yes when I actually want to say No
Taking on others’ feelings as if my happiness is dependent on theirs
Spiraling in self-punishing thoughts over mistakes I refuse to forgive myself for
And so much more…
It came as no surprise when in my thirties I realized that even though my self-esteem was high, my self-worth was very, very low.
While Self-Esteem connects us to the external world, Self-Worth connects us to our internal world.
Self-worth is based on the internal sense of being good enough and worthy of love and belonging.
Self-esteem is often tied to external factors like winning competitions, social status, achievements, and similar external validations.
Mirrors in dance studios serve a clear purpose: they help us refine technique, alignment, and posture. However, they also flex the "external-validation" muscles by becoming a source of self-criticism.
While the mirror may reflect us falling out of a pirouette, self-worth catches us when we fall (or fail).
Instructors play a key role in building self-worth in dance class.
A conscious dance teacher leverages the mirror as a tool while nurturing self-compassion as the core skill by:
Emphasizing unique achievements and effort over flawless execution
Connecting the dancer with the joy of dance
Recognizing personal growth and effort
Celebrating small wins
Cultivating passion for music and expression
Creating an environment of safety and trust that welcomes mistakes and imperfections
Self-worth is the foundation upon which our life stands, yet most of us, including myself, have spent little to no time building it.
This is why the theme for this year’s show is SELF-WORTH.
Our students will be discussing Self-Worth in class every week with the following questions for the month of September:
What was something invisible that you loved about your summer? (Focus on the inner world of feelings and relationships; avoid vacations or things they did)
What do you like about yourself?
What are you proud of in your life?
What do you enjoy or love doing? (we usually enjoy what we’re good at)
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