The best advice I ever received The thing that probably had the most impact in terms of my happiness and wellbeing was to focus on the things that you can control, rather than the things that are outside of your control.
That’s really important for ballet dancers – or anyone pursuing something at a high level – being able to work out the things that will allow you to get better versus the things that are really out of your control. They can take a lot of time and energy away from the things that you can actually do. I’ve certainly experienced that myself, where you let those things take priority, and then you’re not in the best position to take advantage of potential opportunities.
I also remember my mum putting up a quote in front of my desk. It’s a line from a big speech by Polonius in Hamlet: ‘this above all, to thine own self be true.’ I was a young kid and mum tried to explain it, but I didn’t really get it. But it’s always been there, and as I’ve grown older, I realise that it’s important to be comfortable in your own skin.
You want to make decisions based on who you are and who you want to be. It’s had a huge impact and certainly guides me when I’m making decisions about all sorts of things. It gives me a lot of satisfaction and happiness, being comfortable with who I am rather than what people expect of me
The advice I would pass on It would be that idea about being comfortable with who you are and who you want to be – that can guide you in your decision making. We all come to a point where you’re faced with difficult decisions, so it’s nice to have something guiding you.
