Friday was my first African Dance class.
I, and the rest of the first-timers, were definitely not “naturals”.
The tension and stiffness in the room were palpable, despite the fact we wanted to feel joy as we learned something new and moved our bodies.
However the joy and fun were missing because people worried about making a mistake and looking stupid.
The class became about following the rules, moving exactly as we were being taught, and behaving as if there was a “right” and a “wrong” way to move.
What a perfect way to remove the joy from what we were doing.
(This is the place when I am oh so grateful for my gift of laughing easily and willingness to laugh at myself.)
African Dance Lessons For Life
1. Enjoy yourself even if you’re not doing things “perfectly”.
2. Understand that “perfectly” is an illusion – a changing, subjective perception.
3. Objective truths or objective right and wrongs are rare, rare, rare.
4. Enjoying yourself and not worrying about mistakes makes learning much easier.
5. Rules are subjective. Just because you learned something growing up -like don’t wear white after Labor Day – doesn’t mean it’s true and something you need to follow.
6. The person who gets to decide what’s right for you is YOU!
7. Relax and enjoy what you’re doing, whether it’s African Dance or work.
8. Dance AND LIVE like no one’s watching.
It’s just a few days (July 25th) until another round of WHAT’S NEXT? begins. Join in to have fun while you’re learning more about yourself, identifying what YOU want to do next and gaining accountability to follow through on getting what you want and believe in.
There will be laughter while you’re learning and growing. I really don’t know any other way of doing life.
I would love to get to know you! Join me on 
