“Dance
Like No One Is Watching”
by Tania
Tyler
“ Work
like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve
never been hurt, and dance like no one is
watching.”
---
Satchel Paige
What a great
philosophy to travel through life’s journey
with! It was interesting to receive this
quote in an email this week as I have told many
people “you just need to dance as though no one
is watching.” This statement can be taken
literally – go out dancing and just let your
spirit soar, enjoy yourself, have fun – or,
figuratively – dance through life and just let
your spirit soar, enjoy yourself, have fun …
does it really matter what other’s think?
I’m not talking about throwing away all
responsibilities (we do live in a real world),
but rather about taking time to be or explore
who we are. Work on finding a balance.
Be true to yourself, don’t live your life to
please others. Live to please yourself
and others will be pleased. Emotions are
infectious; why not spread happiness, joy and
love?
Take the
time to watch a seagull in flight. Some
days, depending on the weather, they appear to
just float, soar and really enjoy themselves.
Watch again on a windy day, they have to work a
little harder to get where they’re going.
Notice how when the weather gets stormy, they
land and just hang out for a while.
Here’s a quote from “ Jonathan Livingston
Seagull” by Richard Bach: “Seagulls,
as you know, never falter, never stall.
To stall in the air is for them disgrace and it
is dishonor. But Jonathan Livingston
Seagull, unashamed, stretching his wings again
in the trembling hard curve – slowing, slowing,
and stalling once more – was no ordinary bird.”
Next time you get to a stormy day, read this
book again as an adult. Everyday brings
something new; learn to notice something new
each day. Life will always be filled with
challenges, make the best of them. Enjoy
life, be happy. Go with the flow.
As we learn
to “work like you don’t need money”, our jobs
become less of a burden or struggle.
Isn’t life more pleasurable when you are doing
something you enjoy rather than something you
“have to”? Look upon work as something
rewarding. Money isn’t everything.
Take pride in your tasks, be the best you can
at what you do. Smile more. Try
this for a couple of days; watch your job
transform into something more enjoyable.
Chances are, more money will also come your
way. Just imagine the difference in tips
for a waiter/waitress who smiles and makes
their job more enjoyable compared to the person
that really doesn’t want to be there. Or
the possible job promotions when you put your
best foot forward.
Now, the
tough part – “love like you’ve never been
hurt”. Everyone is unique, every
relationship is unique. Give that person
every opportunity; don’t compare them or limit
the relationship because of fears from the
past. Learn from the past. Release
yourself from the past. Live the present
moment. Don’t look back and don’t look
forward. What you have is right now.
It’s guaranteed that if you expect to be hurt,
you’ll find it. Openness, understanding
and honesty are important aspects to any
relationship; they reduce expectations and
allow us to “see it as it is”. People
change, they grow. Love involves allowing
the other to grow, to be who they are – to
accept the possibility that you don’t walk the
same path anymore. Love may not last
forever but if you enjoy every minute you have
of it and can look back without regrets … we
are all here to live life to it’s fullest, to
learn from it’s lessons. Everyone has
something to share, be it good or bad. It
is up to us to determine how fully we
experience living.
So, now
let’s tie this philosophy to a health column.
By living our lives more in tune with our
natural spirit, we add more balance into our
lives, our bodies are more at ease – not dis-ease.
Stress levels reduce. With a reduction of
stress, blood pressures reduce, sleep routines
become more restful, digestion problems
subside, tension headaches disappear; anxiety,
nervousness, and depression reduce … the
possibilities are endless. Take the time
to enjoy life.
Time waits
for no one …
“If a man
does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps
it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears,
however measured and far away.” – Henry
David Thoreau
