Take the plunge!

There is this book I read to my daughter that I love..I brought it from Buenos Aires and it is the story of this fearful hippopotamus.
His family plays in the water everyday, yet he spends his days sitting at the edge of the pond because he is afraid of swimming.
One day he decides to walk around and find some friends he can play with..He meets with a group of rabbits jumping ropes..he gets so excited! But when he tries, he's too heavy to jump a rope..One of the bunnies tells him: "that's ok, you can't jump but you can swim..we rabbits, we can't swim".
As he keeps walking he finds a tree full of birds singing; he looks up and thinks it would be fun to join them..and as he's trying to go up all the brunches break and he falls.."that's ok says a bird, you can't stand on a brunch but you can swim; we birds can't".
Later on he meets eight monkeys playing on a teeter totter..and when he tries to play with them he's too heavy. Again the monkeys will let him know that he can't bounce up and down but he can swim..and they can't.
After a while he goes back to his pond and starts thinking about his family having fun in the water..Maybe he can try and discover the fun?
He finally takes a plunge and loves it!!

Last time I read the story it got me thinking about all the students I met through my teaching experience, and how many times I heard.."I can't dance", "I am not capable of turning", "I am not able to remember this sequence".
Sometimes we can't do a specific thing yet we can still do something else..And numerous moments we think we can't achieve something and it is our fear of taking the plunge the only thing impairing us from doing it.
Every new affair brings a challenge..the feeling of accomplishing a task is priceless.
I have vivid memories of some of my dancers starting their simple first grapevine (mayim) steps..with a "Am I ever going to do this right?" face..Many of those dancing beautifully now.

I am confident that we can use the "Hippo" tale for many more examples than dancing alone. We can attain things if we put it in our minds. It may take us longer than what we expect or want..still that doesn't mean we can't .
If you happen to be one of those who tends to stay at the edge of the pond I invite you to reach the water with one toe..maybe two..and slowly the rest.Wait..I am saying it to myself as well! I sometimes are too afraid to swim..shame on me! :-)

Joyfully shall you draw water
From the fountains of triumph
Joyfully shall you draw water
From the fountains of triumph
(From "Mayim Mayim" )