Wrapping up the year on a High! - The Dancing Champs :D

 In March this year, I wrote Fighting the Inner Demons We Create Ourselves, where I mentioned how I started dancing again because of an office event and our little group.

After that event, life went on as usual — no new dance practice, no rehearsals. Then, in the middle of the year, at one of my colleague’s weddings, we decided to perform again… and I went with it.

I joined the group, and this time we even stayed together in a hotel a day before, so we had good focused time to practice and perfect the moves — and everything went well.

Practice Video :)

I enjoyed it. It was fun again. And it made me let go of that hesitation I used to carry around dancing.

Fast-forward to a few days back — I danced again, probably the last time for the year. And like everything else, I became a bit overconfident and didn’t practice enough at home (the homework I was supposed to do 😅).

It showed — I missed a few steps here and there.

Just highlighting the fact that I missed few steps — but overall we synced and Rocked :D

Prof - Sandy !

But the group, as a whole, did well… so well that we ended up being crowned the dance champs for that event!

Fine, fine — it wasn’t a grand show — but winning is winning, and for me, it was a pleasant surprise.

This time it wasn’t just dance — we also had a storyline woven into the performance. The team did a fantastic job bringing everything together. And for the next opportunity, whenever it comes, I’ll make sure to put in more effort and perfect the nitty-gritties.

Sharing some snaps and clips from the event below…

And again — a big THANK YOU to Ragi.

She has been my dance teacher throughout — a trained classical dancer, an expert in her art. It was a privilege to watch her solo performance last evening as well.

I always assumed it must be a cakewalk for her to dance with us to movie songs… and I still remember her saying,

“I have to unlearn my dance to learn this dance.”

Just shows — everyone has their own unique challenges to deal with before they deliver their best. 😊

We Know What’s Healthy. So Why Don’t We Do It?

The real reason we don’t follow healthy habits is not lack of knowledge — it’s lack of a big enough purpose.


Last Sunday, I went to a street-side book vendor and noticed a guy wearing a retro-style cap and sunglasses walk up as well. We had a brief chat, and he casually mentioned that he was buying books for his 90-year-old girlfriend.

(He might have been joking — but honestly, it didn’t feel that way.)

That one line sent my mind in so many directions.

1. Someone at 90, still active and still reading.

2. A girlfriend at that age — I mean, the relationship must have gone through so much. Both of them clearly invested in life and each other to make it till here.

3. The sheer energy and freshness that guy carried.

Then, just last week, while travelling to Mangalore for a friend’s wedding, I happened to cross paths with a Kannada actress — Geetha Suratkal. I learnt who she was during our conversation. She might be in her 70s now.

The first thing I noticed — she wasn’t wearing reading glasses or any kind of specs.
The second — her energy. Happy, smiley, warm.
She mentioned she still travels for work.

She also shared that she’s a retired bank employee and even while working full-time, she used to do theatre. If you’ve seen Sapne vs Everyone, she reminded me of Prashanth — managing a day job while still nurturing passion on the side.

And then this morning, a thought hit me.

We — almost all of us — know what’s good for our health and happiness. For our body, mind, and overall well-being.
Yet, many of us struggle to follow it.
While for a select few, that way of living feels effortless — almost automatic.

Maybe the problem isn’t that we don’t know what to eat, how to sleep, or when to exercise.

Maybe we don’t need to force healthy habits at all.

Maybe what we really need is something meaningful to move towards.

Have a purpose. A goal. A reason.

When you’re training for a marathon, you automatically move towards healthier food, better sleep, and early mornings.
When you’re preparing for a competitive exam, distractions reduce on their own, stressors are filtered out, and you naturally prioritise focus, rest, and mental clarity.

Yesterday, I was listening to ideas from the book 10x Is Better Than 2x. One thought stood out — big goals shape behaviour.
When the dream is big enough, the path becomes clearer. And while walking that path, taking care of your body and mind stops feeling like a task — it just becomes part of the journey.

Fighting the Inner Demons We Create Ourselves

 I first published this on medium - on 9-March-2025 -- https://medium.com/@sandyshah1990/fighting-the-inner-demons-we-create-ourselvesdancing-with-my-inner-demons-a-journey-beyond-829dacca9f8f

I have always told myself that I am not a dancer, that I can’t dance. Not sure if it was ever really true, but it became something I just believed. I would never dance at parties — maybe once in a while during Garba, but nothing more than that.

As a kid, I do have this one image — I was in school, participating in a dance. I was way too small to remember much, but I know I was there. I was also part of the Lazim team during the Ganpati celebration. And then, there was another time in school when I wanted to dance, but in the first step of the audition, where we had to move our necks, I couldn’t do it properly (or at least that’s what I thought). Within less than a minute, I was sent back. Now, thinking back, I don’t know if that’s the moment that completely put me off dancing, but I know it played a big role.

It’s funny how childhood experiences shape our beliefs about ourselves. Just like how I thought I wasn’t good at GK because of a few early experiences, the same thing happened with dancing.

Me as a Kid — getting ready for Dance Performance :)

The GK Incident and Its Impact

It wasn’t just dance. In the same school, there was another moment that shaped me in ways I only realize when I started writing this post. One day, the teachers asked if anyone wanted to participate in a GK quiz. Like dance, I enthusiastically raised my hand — I wanted to try everything as a kid. So, another student and I were taken to the principal’s office. When we got there, teacher introduced me as “Sandeep” but introduced the other student as “ABC, son of EFD.” No other test or a word from me and I was sent back again.

I never really processed it back then, but now, as I write this, I see the connection. That moment might have played a big role in why I never really got into reading news or keeping up with political discussions. It’s strange how one small experience can ripple through your life without yu even realizing it.

The Positive Side: Computers and Coding

But not all experiences were limiting. The same school gave me my first exposure to computers. The teachers there encouraged us to experiment, and they even let me (specifically) spend extra hours in the computer lab. I would code (probably in some programming language like Logo or Turtle, God knows), explore different things, and, yes, also play Road Rash during those extra hours. But looking back, that freedom to explore helped me continue pursuing coding. If they had discouraged me, pushed me down, or restricted my time there, I might not have ended up as a data scientist today. I am forever grateful to my teachers. The ability to solve analytical puzzles and approach problems logically — those roots were planted right there in that school.

The Conscious Effort

This isn’t a story about me becoming a great dancer. It’s not one of those where I magically discover a hidden talent. But it is about the moment I decided to challenge this self-imposed belief.

At an office event, there was going to be a dance performance. It was decided few days before event and I joined the party just a day before. Coming back ome seeing my friends practice — I stumbled on some fortune telling video and that mentioned dancing and I was like lets go for it. So a day before I joined them and decided to participate in couple of short songs only. 90 seconds in total :). Also I don’t mind being laugh at — especially when I am trying something new and for myself. There was no stage fear and so one less thing to deal with. Friends were there to help me practice, guide me through the steps, and somehow, I did it. I danced.

video quality may be compromised coz of format !

the Dancing Group !

And then?

Nothing drastic happened. No huge emotional rush. No life-altering epiphany. Just a regular moment. The event ended, and everything felt… normal. I may participate in future but that’s it. The real story wasn’t about that moment — it was about everything that led to it.

The Journey is Where It Happens

This reminded me of my marathon journey. I didn’t feel an overwhelming rush of emotions after crossing the finish line. The transformation had already happened in the months of training — the days of struggle, the self-doubt, the small wins, and the persistence to keep going. The event itself? Just a checkpoint.

Dancing, for most people, is a small thing. But for me, because of my self-talk and past experiences, it had become my Mount Everest. Overcoming it wasn’t about the dance itself — it was about stepping out of my comfort zone, fighting my own mind, and proving to myself that I could do it.

We Create Our Own Barriers

We often let small moments in childhood turn into massive roadblocks in adulthood. A failed attempt, a teacher’s remark, or even our own overthinking can shape how we see ourselves. But the truth is, those are just stories we tell ourselves. And just like we created them, we can rewrite them.

This experience reminded me that real change doesn’t come from the final moment of crossing the line — it comes from the journey, the battle with our inner demons, and the willingness to take that first step, even if it’s just a small dance move.