As a dancer, I regularly have to be brave.
Every time I go out to perform, I have to face the inevitable stage fright. Will they like my dance choreography? Will they be bored? Will I screw up and forget what I am doing? Will I get dizzy when whirling and fall? Will I drop the sword I am supposed to balance on my head? Will it land on my foot? OMG, that would be bad. Will I have a costume malfunction where something falls off, rips, does not work etc. (and yes, my worse nightmares have happened). Will the lights be blinding so I can’t see what I am doing? On and on and on.
And then, guess what? I think, get over yourself.
It is not about you. It is about giving a gift to the audience for them to enjoy. I hope they do. They do not want me to fail, they want to have a good time. Stop thinking about yourself. Get out of your head. Tell the monkeys to stop their endless chatter.
And you know what? That is what opens the door to the magic happening. That thing between you and the audience. The connection where they feel the story, feel like they are dancing with you in your body, they want to laugh or cry or become someone new. You feel their energy and your dancing is better for it. They feel your energy and their life is better for it.
In the middle east, they call it “tarab”. It is hard to translate in western words, but it means something like being overcome by the music or performance and experiencing emotional transformation.
If you have experienced it as a dancer or observer, you know what I mean.
But it only happens if you are brave.
Get out there and do your thing and get out of your head. Let the alignment of who you are and what you bring to the world shine through, without fear.
Love this post! Performing for the President’s visit really was brave and I think you are correct. Being brave with your interior does improve your design.
Thanks! And I find the braver you are, the more it helps you be even more brave in the future!
I love the message in this post, Mary Ann. Thank you for reminding us to keep on being brave – in life, and in our relationship with our home.
Thank you!
Brilliant! Bravery is so important. It is a gift that we are all unique, and the world NEEDS what each of us have to contribute! Having a home that reflects and recharges your uniqueness is essential!
Thank you, I think it is one of the most important things your home can do for you.