Question: What important learning occurred in the last 5 days?
Answer: I am answering the question based on my experience in my Beginner Aerials B (1st and 2nd sessions), Aerial Conditioning, and Intermediate/Advanced Aerials classes, April 19th – May 25th. Besides the obvious answers of greater strength, flexibility and knowledge of moves, I think that I have learned how to take criticism and build on it, how to persevere even when the moves seem too scary or tough, and how to maintain a positive attitude even when we are doing repetitive reviews or conditioning. The ability to take criticism, perseverance, and maintaining a positive attitude are all attributes that are as highly valued as skill in the work place. Of course I knew how to do all these things before I decided to send myself flying through the air, but it does seem to take on a new meaning when the only thing between your face and the floor is a thin trapeze bar or a piece of fabric no thicker than a nice pair of Soffe shorts.
No one is perfect, and I certainly am not now nor was I when I first began learning the moves. Everyone from instructors to fellow students will tell you what you are doing wrong, and to a certain degree how you can make it better. It truly builds self confidence when you see or feel yourself do a move correctly. It feels even better when the person who previously told you that what you were doing did not look so pretty, is now telling you that it looks elegant and beautiful. Their critiquing of my moves certainly stung a bit when I knew that I was working so hard at doing them. But by allowing myself to take a step back, I realized that they were telling me so that I can improve and not continue down a path of ugly tricks. I became reliant on whether my moves were deemed pretty or try-it-again-different.
Along the same line is my development of greater perseverance. It is hard being scared, or in pain or weak or being told that my hard work did not turn out so well week after week. I had to learn how to internalize those upset emotions, and to continue building and working on my skills so that I could get better. If I let myself sink into self annoyance and frustration, the cycle would only continue. I used the negative energies and feedback as inspiration to do better next week.
Also continuing in the same vein is my increased positive attitude. If you let all the dissatisfactions get to you, then you will get no where. I had to remind myself to stay positive. When doing the strengthening exercises, I counted up for the first eight, and then chanted “two left…one left…GO FOR THE GOLD!”. It really helped keep me motivated when the count to ten repetitions seemed endless. It I had not been able to stay so positive, I probably would have become discouraged with my progress and the class, and overall would not have had as much fun during my senior project as I did.
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Learning how to take positive feedback (a/k/a criticism) will serve you well not only in college or at work but in all areas of your life. You must develop a thick skin and appreciate these comments not only as a way to learn the expectations of others but also as a means for testing your vision of your skills. Not every criticism is valid or constructive but some certainly is, and learning to accept positive feedback it is a major step toward imporvement.
ReplyDeleteHow will you use these lessons in other parts of you life? Is perseverence something you can learn or is it something with which you are born? If it is learned, how did you learn it?
ReplyDeleteThis class was obviously not the first time you needed to challenge yourself and overcome some fears, as well as listen to feedback and respond. Did at anytime you think back to your younger years in gymnastics? Did you have flashbacks of when you learned/competed and needed to not be fearful of flipping around on uneven bars or doing tricks on a balance beam high off of the ground? Did you encourage yourself the same way then as you did during aerial silk lessons as a highschool student? Do you think that you took the feedback as well as an elementary age child, as you do now? -- {>, Mom
ReplyDeleteDad,I know what you are hinting at, that perseverance is not something acquired, but something, perhaps that you were born with. I don't agree. And while I have always stuck with things til the finish ("kitchenoffs never quit"), I don't believe it was something I was born with so much as developed in response to my childhood. You and mom taught me from an early age that giving up was not an option when there was still room for improvement, and I think that over the years and definately in this class, that idea has grown. Perseverance, I believe is one of those qualities that is built upon as one grows older and applied to different areas.
ReplyDeleteMom, no actually the only meaningful experience I drew upon from gymnastics was how to point my toes, position my hands, keep my legs pointed, and how I used to be flexible and do the conditioning exercises because I thought they were fun and I could do them. Most of my positive vs. negative feedback response came from crew. There, you have someone sitting comfortably in a boat while you work your body often until you throw up, whlie being told that you are not doing enough or are doing it all wrong. I think if I was getting the feedback that I am getting now, back then, I probably would have cried and not understood why they were always railing on me. Most of my ability to deal with negative feedback is derived from coaches yelling at me while I row, in an environment where any type of response is not possible, so you have to learn how to internalize it and build on it.
ReplyDeleteI now understand the goals of your lessons---to learn beautiful movements, build confidence and learn about your inner self. A painful abrasion on your body doesn't matter if you learned from it. This knowledge should guide you throughout your life. GM
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