Some time ago, I learned an important lesson on patience and believing in myself. My story starts three years ago.

Ever since I started ballet, I was very prideful of my dancing. Being young and naive, I thought I was much better than I was. I assumed I was ready to start using pointe shoes, even though I would have been a couple years younger than average. When ballerinas get to an advanced level, they get to start pointe work. In pointe shoes, a ballerina can dance on her toes, which requires strength, maturity, and bravery. Most girls started pointe work at the beginning of the year. Our teacher told us she would announce who would get this privilege, and I was sure I would be one of them. I came to ballet one day only to hear that I was not on the list. Blinded by jealousy,  I could not see the reasons this opportunity passed me by.

Time went on, and it was revealed to me why some of the other girls deserved what I did not. They all had certain things in common: they were older, stronger, and had more experience. This motivated me to work harder and more diligently. My goal helped me become a better dancer, even to this day.

Soon, the next year came and new girls were put in my level, replacing the ones I had envied. All the other girls were certain they deserved pointe shoes, but I had my doubts about any of us being rewarded with them, and I did not want to break their hearts by telling them what had happened to me the year before. That nervous and exciting time of year came around again, and the girls in my level were very anxious. My teacher came into the room and told us the entire class was getting pointe shoes. My jaw dropped, and I could not believe what he had told us. I started planning the weeks ahead of us, preparing for the exciting time when we would begin working in pointe shoes. Looking around at the ecstatic faces in the room, I realized how “unfair” my situation was. I was forced to wait a year longer than the other girls for this moment, and I became jealous of them as well, though it was in vain. By the time we all had our first class in pointe shoes, I was doing much better than most of the other girls in my class, due to the extra time I had to prepare, both in my strength and my work ethic. After a half year of pointe, I got stronger and was moved into a higher level than the younger girls. I was with dancers who had been on pointe for much longer, and I was now expected to do harder things. Finally feeling like I had been pushed into the difficult opportunity I wanted, I rose to the occasion.

Later on, as I improved even more, it was revealed to me how ahead I was of most other girls. Most of the older girls who got their pointe shoes before me had quit ballet, or were less serious about it than I, and most of the younger girls I got on pointe with were having trouble performing simple steps. I realized how much the extra year of strengthening before pointe shoes had helped my current ability. During that year I also learned to have more humility and patience, and with only hard work and diligence can you reap benefits.