This was no nightclub.  It was Zumba class.

My favorite instructor, Antonio playfully yelled, "Shake it!  Don't break it!"

So I shook it. And shimmied.  Wearing a grin so wide it made my face hurt, in a matter of minutes I'd shed computer malaise and tapped into my alter ego.

"Walk sexy now!"

At your command, Antonio!

I catwalked in time to the music, embracing the swagger that accompanies feeling free, beautiful, strong, and...

...oh NO.

Who was that older woman in the mirror?

Noticeably larger and a step behind everyone else in the class, to my dismay, it was me.

In a flash, my joyous escape turned dark.

Instead of dancing, I wanted to slink out the door.

My inner critic taunted, "Who are you kidding, Brenda?  Look at these other gorgeous women in the class!  You're an embarrassment!"

Is your inner critic as mean as mine?

The sucker punch of comparison rattled me. Tears stung my eyes.

We all take these hits.

But here's what I've learned: After a hit, there's a response window.

You can either yield to the taunts and crumble, setting momentum in motion to steal the rest of your day.

Or you can resist the darkness and forcibly choose the light.

I resumed dancing like no one was watching.

I jumped higher, dug deeper, and broke a new calories burned record (according to my iWatch.)

Because I will not be bullied out of joy.

And I hope you won't either.