I have been dancing since I was 4 years old. I have improved with age and with confidence in ballet and I have started to do competitions. I remember one time I had to leave camp early to do a dance competition. The day before leaving camp we did a 6-kilometer walk carrying all our belongings. I got home that night shattered, tired and aching, hardly able to feel my legs. I was so tired I went to bed. waking up the next day just as tired, I was so excited about the dance competition. I wanted to win so bad and I thought I could too. I had a fixed mind set thinking that winning was all that mattered. I went to my studio to practice barely able to get through one run of my dance. My legs were shaking, I tried over and over again not willing to leave until I had it perfect. I wanted to win! I needed my routine to be perfect. In the end, mum had to make me leave as I was exhausting myself and getting frustrated. I went home so tired and upset but still with a fixed mindset thinking I would win. After relaxing for a while we left for the competition. I performed the best I could considering how tired I was. Then it came time for the judge to adjudicate. I didn’t place. I was so devastated! That night I felt so sad and upset, mum comforted me and told me that it should never be about winning it should be about taking part, dancing for the love of it and enjoying it. I needed to remember why I dance and it was because I loved it made people happy. Mums advice made me change my mindset. It made me realize that I had just ruined this experience for me. Instead of just trying my best and enjoying myself and listening to feedback and why I lost as a way to improve, I took it as I wasn’t good enough and didn’t try hard enough. Remembering that it was only one person’s opinion was also important for me to move forward. I would like to say thanks to my mum for her reminding me of all the things I missed out on, the reasons I love to dance and for changing my mindset to think positively. I now enjoy dance competitions and take them as a learning experience.