How to Achieve your

Peak Performance State:

2) The Mental Tools

Other than the potent, body-changing, life-affirming physical tools, the Bad Girl Ballerina has a slew of mental tools at her disposal. These devices may be a bit harder to distinguish and quantify, but they are very real, essential elements in achieving her peak performance state. These are the tools that allow her to change ballet from being a destructive weapon to being a path to self-mastery. Instead of using ballet as a vehicle to unleash her perfectionistic tendencies, bashing her self-esteem over and over again as she finds it impossible to meet her unrealistic expectations…she recovers the unadulterated sense of ballet being an outlet of artistic expression, a method of drawing purpose and fulfillment out of life.

Rather than beating herself up and getting discouraged because she isn’t “good enough,” she is equipped with the mental tools that allow her to value her body and know her worth. Instead of walking into the studio with the intent to pick out and criticize all her flaws, she steps on the marley with an open heart and the goal of letting herself flow in her dance. She recognizes that real art comes not from conforming or imitating some ideal, but from creating something that is unique to only her.

She doesn’t expect to be in this resourceful state all the time, but she knows what her peak performance state feels like and what she can accomplish when she is in that place. When her mental demons start rearing their ugly voices, she has the proper techniques to shut them down. She recognizes that when she starts thinking, I hate myself; I’m not good enough; I’m worthless, that it is just her demons trying to drag her down and, ironically, keep her safe from being rejected by others. Since she realizes that this kind of self-talk will only take her further from her goals, she fights to take back control from her demons and get herself back to a state of loving and accepting who she is. Otherwise, she risks not being in her full power and not being able to share her art.

Through the Bad Girl Ballerina Blog, we are starting to deal with these demons. Just by bringing them out into the light and addressing them, you gain power over them. You’ve been run by these negative emotions for so long that you often forget that you don’t need them. So, the first step is recognizing that the demons are there. Then, you can start to develop the mental tools to deal with them. It’s through this mindset process that you start to discover your true self hidden underneath the layers of obstacles and self-esteem issues that the demons have put in your way.

And finding this true self is one of the factors that will allow you to get to your peak performance state – a place where you are confident in yourself without needing the validation of others; a place where you aren’t afraid to take risks and make yourself vulnerable; a place where every moment in your life gives you more power with which to share your gift with the world; a place where your own sense of fulfillment and worth are spilling over to the point where you can’t keep yourself hidden any longer.

What are some of the things your mental demons whisper to you? What are they really trying to say to you? Remember, these demons were created by you to some extent, often as a self-preservation thing meant to protect you. Start digging through your layers to find out what purpose these demons are serving. Then, thank them for their services, and let them know that you don't need them anymore. You've found other tools to keep yourself safe and Bulletproof.