What have you lost?

I was a dancer growing up, and I loved it. By the time I was in high school, I spent 4-5 days a week at the dance studio. Yes, sometimes as a teenager, you can get distracted, but deep down, dancing fulfilled me. Still, certain music can touch me deep down in my soul, and I can not help but want to dance. By this I mean 80’s, 90’s, modern dance, hip hop, country, oldies and even jazz. Being on stage was a place for me to fully express myself and feel the dance, a place that I didn’t hold back, because you were told to feel it, to show emotion, to not hold back.

What a high, to truly let go and not hold back. So what happened to that feeling over the years?

Every year we go to my niece’s dance recital, which is super, duper long, just like mine was, but I love getting to see them on stage. As they get older, I have found myself getting so emotional as I watch them. It brings back the feelings and emotions of being able to let go and express myself through dance, which I know now is such a gift. For any of us, kids and adults, to let go, be ourselves and be able to put it all out there. Soooo good for the soul.

As I sat there this year, I felt so emotional, I missed the feeling of dancing, expressing yourself, in front of crowds of people, some strangers, family and friends, and not holding back. Expressing yourself, and enjoying it, despite the critics.

I realized how much we lose parts of ourself as we grow. Yes, thank goodness some things go, but this I missed. The person on stage that just loved dancing. It wasn’t that I was amazing, it was just that I loved it. Being able to be on stage was even better, because you were supposed to express your feelings through your dance.

I could see where you can easily begin questioning yourself and things you do and how you do them. I thought back to things in my life that made me begin questioning myself. Life changes. People go in and out of our life. Some you don’t hear from. We grow up. Responsibilities change. Our focus has to change a bit. Not as many cheerleaders in our corner.

Much of questioning ourself, comes from what we think others think. Other’s opinions. It is almost funny how people think they need to give you their opinion. I have been this person. I laugh at myself now too, that I think someone else needs to know what I think. It really makes me nuts that I have ever let other people’s opinions get to me.

People in your life begin to see you as one thing, and you almost just settle into it. You might hear people tell you, “oh you would never do that”, “that’s definitely not you”, “you couldn’t do that”, “why would you want to do that”. When you try to become something else, something that you are feeling, they are confused, question you, so you crawl back in. It is so easy to do this to your kids too. Stop it!

Spread your wings and encourage your kids to spread their wings. Don’t assume that you don’t want to, or that they don’t want to.

I read a quote recently that said something to the effect of, we need to stop caring whether or not they care. Stop waiting for them to care. You are the one that needs to care about what you do. YOU need to care. Do something that makes YOU feel good and makes YOU cheer yourself on. YOU have to be YOUR own cheerleader. You just do.

Listen…I could go on and on. If you are not living your best life, and you are holding back, and you are not going after things you truly want….YOU have to make a change. YOU have to find that person deep down that is craving something and go after it. Go after it because YOU want it. Don’t wait for anyone else to cheer you on. YOU need to cheer yourself on. YOU need to encourage yourself and push yourself.

Nobody will do this for you. YOU have to do it and YOU CAN.

Start working out. Start a blog. Apply for your dream job. Take a class. Open a business. Move. Say no. Say YES! Make that phone call. Cut your hair. Travel. Dance. Play an instrument. Take singing lessons. Take dance class.

Make a promise to yourself….and you need to keep it.

Be Yourself. Be YOU. Be who YOU want to be. Follow YOUR heart and YOUR soul. This is YOUR life….nobody else’s.

Be an encourager for yourself and others.

Enjoy today and BE yourself,

P.S. If you haven’t read “Girl, wash your face“, by Rachel Hollis, that is the place to start. I strongly recommend it. It is exactly what you need to remind yourself that YOU are in charge, YOU control your life and if YOU want something, YOU better go get it.