I was catching up on last night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars when Jennifer Grey (of Dirty Dancing) said something that resonated for me so strongly that I had to re-watch that segment to hear it again. Jennifer was asked why she was so committed to her performances, what was driving her. She answered:
“Just to be as good as I can be today. That’s it. I just really, really want to be my best and show myself what I can still do or never knew I could do.”
Moments like that are why I find the show worth watching. They are the times when I can see that someone has dared to do something new even though it scared them. Jennifer’s determination shows, she is holding nothing back when she dances. That energy makes her far more fun to watch than the technical perfection of the professionals-only dances. Jennifer may or may not win the competition, but she really has already won.
Now I just need to drill the thought into my skull so that I can remember it on a day when I’m afraid to try, or on a day when I’ve dared to try and failed.