Ice-skating and a Happy Head #MareeDoesThings

This last weekend and couple of days before that, were such perfect and amazing days that I have to share with you what I've been up to. Also,  the "Life" category seems to be winning in my content poll so far, so there you have it, I'm giving you Life. Don't miss your chance to vote though! 

It all began with ice skating. Well, to be precise, it all began with the Winter Olympics. 

A couple fo my friends were planning on going skating to the Olympic Park that we have here in Prague. Wonderful thing this is, btw: it's a place where for the time of the Olympics you can come and try different winter sports like skating, ice hockey, curling, cross country skiing, even biathlon and a mini version of ski jump (if you're suicidal) and there's a little snowboarding slope as well. There are also big screens for crowds to gather and watch the broadcasts from Sochi and a studio of Czech Television. All through the day there are concerts, exhibitions nad general fun things going on :) Plus there are coaches and professional sports people to help you and give advice if you want to try something new.

The time that my friends wanted to go skating was a bit inconveniet for me, but I didn't want to give up on it, because it looked like such a fun thing to do! Then another friend got in touch and we worked it out so that just the two of us would go. And I have photohraphic proofs that I made it. (All photos kindly taken and provided by KaTachyon ;)

Now, I am not a sporty type of a person. I don't do sports. I've tried ice-skating 2-3 times back in high school, as a part of PE. Not very successfully. But it has always been something that I wished I could do. And well... I figured since I do own a pair of skates, all be it an old and battered one that I inherited after a relative/family friend,... Why not go for it and give it a try?

I knew that I had to do it quickly before I start thinking about it too much and chicken out. The Olympic Park is quite popular amond Prague citizens and I knew there would be lots of people, which I wasn't too keen on. I was nervous, worried, maybe even a little scared. But... I've come to a point in life where fear... Fear is not that crippling adversary of mine any more. Not this type of fear anyway. Being afraid doesn't mean that you can't do it. It just means that you need to compose yourself, take a deep breath and go do it anyway!

I realize this may seem a bit too serious and deep, considering I'm talking about such a trivial thing as skating. But this little skating adventure made me realize a couple of things that have changed in my mindset and now I thrive and rejoice in this realization.

It felt like a really good thing to do for the new Maree. Maree that does things! Remember what I said in my new yearsy post? About trying to do things instead of finding reasons why I cannot do them... This is it. Traditionally, in the past, I would wish to go skating, but there would be no place to go. If there had been a place, then I wouldn't have any friends to go with me. Or at least that's what I told myself. Had there been an Olympic Park like this a couple of years ago, I would not have set foot in there. I would spend weeks looking at the posters and wishing I could go, being very sad that I can't. While there are no actual reasons to stop me! So... no more excuses! Maree wants to skate, Maree is going to skate. Well, in reality, it will probably go more like: Marree wants to skate, Maree is going to fall on her bum. A lot.  But you get my point, don't you? :)

So I put together a lovely sporty outfit, making use of my brother's old skiing jacket which looks totally retro and cool, and off I went :)

The weather was so lovely! Almost a bit too lovely, considering it's supposed to be winter, considering all those winter sports actually need cold temperatures to have something to compete on. The snow and ice had quite a hard time keeping it together :D

I didn't feel very nice upon ariving to the park. There was a lot of people indeed. And they were all doing things. Skating. So bloody fast... What saved me was that Kate agreed to walk around the park first, so we could see where everything was. That made me feel a lot better, but not quite good enough yet. Then I gave myself an imaginary slap to the face, bacuse it would be really stupid to give up on the skating, now that I've dragged Katie to the park and all around it. So we put on our skates and stumbled along into the skating corridor.

Getting ready. Also, I have misplaced my arm.

What can I say, it was slippery :D I flew to the ground a couple of steps in :D

However, all in all, I am mega chuffed about the whole experience. I learned that my skating skills increase in proportion to decreasing number of fellow skaters around me, "surprisingly" :) That I do better when there is music played. And that if I tried it more often and for longer periods of time, I think I could learn to skate quite decently. However the main plus point was, that I kept a smile on my face for the whole time.

I remember, all those years ago, when I first tried skating (or any other sport for that matter), I was so embarrassed about not being able to do it. I used to beat myself up about every tiny little mistake and my spirits would drop lower and lower, my mind swirling away in negative thoughts... No wonder that I don't have many fond memories from sports. Because I always knew that I was doing it wrong and I never allowed myself to forget that.

This time, Maree in 2014, different story completely! I didn't really feel embarassed about anything. I finally accepted that there is no shame in not knowing something, not having a particular skill just because I haven't had much chance to try it and learn it before. What matters is that I'm trying now. Yes, I stumbled. And I fell down a couple of times. I crashed into the barriers a lot, resulting in some interesting bruises and pulled muscles, but... I kept laughing and smiling. My mind didn't focus on those :) It focused on the time a little kid in front of me stopped and I had to step away from the barrier to overtake them, and I made it!  Or the time I managed to cross the open space in a quite smooth and fluid movement and then I slowed down and made this cool little circle around Kate and stopped. Without bumping into her!

Look at me go! I'm fearless!

I must admit, I did grow very un-fond of the tiny little hockey players who kept swishing about so fast that a newbie skater like me felt quite endangered, but good for them that they can swish about. Cheeky little bastards :)

Anyway, there it is, that famous change in mindset: I focus on the positives! It feels so rewarding to be consciously aware of it :) Obviously the way my mind works hasn't changed over night. I've been growing positivity and confidence for a good couple of years. All the battles that I've been fighting, whether they were small and insignificant or big and important, and regardless of whether I'd won or lost, all of those struggles have been cotributing to building a ... new me inside my head :)

Rejoicing in my perfectly awesome and happy head, I went to dance away the bruises :) On the two following days I went to two balls/dance events. In fact, I was so amazing that I found myself somebody to dance with and then I had loooooads of fun dancing! Even though I missed steps, and I messed up, but who cares?!! It was SO MUCH FUN !!! Thanks, Tom, if you're reading ;)

And the cherry on the top? After 3 days of this unusual amount of physical activity, my legs didn't even hurt. Looks like my body is upping the game :) I suppose I should keep moving not to waste the good start, eh?

So that's that. I am now going to celebrate the fresh additions to our Czech Olympic Team medal collection (Gold for Martina Sáblíková in Speedskating 5kms and Silver for Biathlon mixed relay :)

Questions for you, readers: Have the Olympics ever inspired you to try something new?

or.. Does not having a certain skill ever mess up your mind? How do you cope?