# @helen_maroulis on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ0YdDRDdtR
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/36686239-helen-maroulis-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/dd0f6fd8fe.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-11-09T02:23:47.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Helen Maroulis OLY (@helen_maroulis) — https://gondola.cc/helen_maroulis

## Caption

“You won’t be able to get to good if you’re not willing to look stupid”

This was one of the first pieces of advice I got when I started dancing a couple years ago. 

If embarrassment was the price to become good then I was willing to pay it. It also cost: 

Being uncomfortable 
Feeling stupid 
Doubting myself
Failing over and over again 

 I had no natural ability for dance, I didn’t have any talent… I felt so dumb so many times. I was so discouraged when I started because I was putting in so many hours of training and not seeing nearly the progress as those around me. 

I hoped being an athlete would help me improve but wrestling just gave me a strong mindset to not give up. I paid for private lessons thinking that would speed it up, it didn’t. I took a variety of classes, travelled the world learning from some of the best instructors, I studied. I trained when I was injured, in bathrooms, basements or wherever. 

But I knew I had this limiting belief deep down that maybe I would never be good. So I made a commitment: I’ll do this for ten years and at the end of ten years, if I’m still terrible AND I don’t enjoy it, then I’ll stop. But regardless of whether I ever get good or not, if it still brings me joy, I’ll continue. 

I share this because I don’t really share the behind the scenes, and I want to be honest in that it doesn’t come easy. Nothing good does. It’s okay to love a sport or hobby and not be great at it. If you enjoy it then continue 

I’ve gotten so much out of dance besides getting better. I got so comfortable with embarrassing myself or feeling stupid that I wasn’t afraid to try new things in other areas. It gave me a different type of confidence. It made me enjoy being a beginner. It helped me in coaching wrestling too because I am not out of touch with what the “beginner stage” feels like. So dance gave me so much more than just being an outlet. And it’s given me a whole new community of friends and people I admire. Haven’t shared much publicly on it but I’m so grateful to everyone who’s helped me along on my journey 🫶🏼

#dance #failure #growth #improving #joy

## Stats

- **Views:** 16,099
- **Likes:** 4,855
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 181

## Tags

growth, failure, joy, dance, improving

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