Challenge to drink deeply

A challenge to push the limits

I have made some deep connections at the Health Fair, and have been given some extraordinary opportunities to push my limits. On Monday I was made an offer I couldn't refuse: To be a central part of the Ceremonial Fire Dance.

I LOVE to dance, I adore ceremony, I'm in!

I quickly discovered that ritual dance is a whole lot harder than it looks! After half an hour of desperately trying to follow their lead without making a complete fool of myself, my lower body is starting to burn and the PreHispanic Dancers haven't even broken a sweat. Two thirds of the way in I'm looking for a way out, but I can't break the circle. Finally the group pauses to invite the public to dance with them, and I am about to seize the chance to sneak back a few paces and take a breather when Arturo announces "Our sister from New Zealand is dancing with us," and I'm locked in with the reputation of my country resting on my now seriously aching shoulders, back and legs.

I give up hope of reprieve, throw my pain and pathetic reluctance to Grandfather Fire and throw myself fully into the dance, focusing only on the privilege, on gratitude for the experience, and on following Tizoc who will be leading a delegation of PreHispanic Dancers to New Zealand in July.

It feels good to stop whining and get on with it. So what if I'm not doing as well as the 10 year old dancer, so what if there's a crowd witnessing my embarrassing performance. What matters is that I finish the dance with honour having seen it all the way through.

Afterward Angel, a shaman from a different tribe, presents me with an eagle feather. Through a translator he tells me that he offers me this gift because I danced like a warrior.

If he had given me a million dollars it couldn't have meant more.

I invite you to push the limit this week. Do more than you think you can. We can't realise the reward unless we invest the effort – and we don't assume we know what people might be thinking as they watch us struggle to achieve our goals.