This morning I decided to go to a "Step" class at the gym. I haven't done step aerobics for several years, and I was a little nervous to go to this class, but I decided, "Why not?" Well, the instructor of the class was great! Before the class began she gave a little pep talk, and I felt very comfortable and excited about the class. The first fifteen minutes of the class were awesome! She was doing combinations I was familiar with from my college days of step aerobics. She gave positive feedback to the few of us who were new to her class. Suddenly the class took a turn! The instructor seemed a bit irritated at those of us who weren't "regulars" to her class. Her comments shifted to frustration. She started teaching new steps I had never seen before. She would teach something that seemed tricky to me, and then she would say, "Okay, that's the beginner way of doing it, but this is how we'll be doing it." Yikes! I suddenly had two left feet and my brain was on overload. My confidence diminished, and I wanted to quickly escape! I decided I wasn't a quitter, so I gave it my best effort. As I was tripping over my feet and praying to get out of that class alive, I had a "light bulb moment". I thought of my sweet little girls and how my encouragement and positive words to them can help them in achieving difficult things in life. I also thought about the times I have been less than patient with them, and how their confidence can be deflated in a matter of seconds because of my tone of voice or hint of sarcasm. I am going to work really hard on being the type of mother who encourages in every way and stear clear of the remarks that can be a hindrance to their development and confidence. . .and I am going back to that class next week to give it my all!
