Despite the play on words, the title of this post has a lot of truth to it. We get so caught up in the day-to-day activities of our lives that our passions often get trampled, buried deep down inside ourselves and in distant past memories. Instead of dancing gracefully through life, we end up stumbling clumsily, disconnected. What does the dance of your life look like? Is it a fiery salsa or more like the funky chicken dance?

I think Ellen DeGeneres does something really brilliant. She brings dance into her show every day with her audience and something shifts in their energy. They’re having fun. You can’t help but smile while watching them all groove to the latest hits. So lets do it ourselves – take a minute to put on your favorite song and do a little dance before reading on….seriously, I mean it.

Recently I had the opportunity to watch Vanessa Martinez, a talented dancer and choreographer, perform in Madrid, Spain. As I sat watching from the audience I was mesmerized by the way she connected with her body, the music, the stage, and the spectators in order to deliver a stunning performance. Vanessa’s passion for what she was doing was so evident – pouring out her heart and soul on the stage.

After the performance I was able to speak with Vanessa and she shared many parallels between dance and life. Things like having creative vision, discipline, focus, staying healthy and knowing your body, setting and accomplishing goals. It was at this point that something occurred to me. Passion is not just about an activity that you DO, such as sing, dance, paint, write, travel, etc. It is also a way of BEING. Living with passion is much different than just doing something you’re passionate about. Discovering things you’re passionate about is just one piece of the dance of life. Capturing the feeling and living with this passion is a choice we can all make each day.

What would your life look like if you approached every task with this sense of passion? Doing laundry, grocery shopping, and paying bills may feel a little different!

Use the following to help tap into your passions:

o Think back to when you were a child. What did you spend hours doing (on your own free will) that brought you the most joy?
o Fast forward to when you’re retired – what will you be spending your days doing?
o If you were going to plan your ideal vacation, where would you go and what activities would you be doing?
o Remember all those fun elective courses listed in the course guide in college, but you didn’t have time to fit them in your schedule? Imagine going back and only being able to take those – which ones would you choose?
o When you reflect on the things in your life right now, what are you doing when a smile comes to your face or you do your “happy dance” inside?

Keeping it Real:

Pick one or two of the questions above that worked best for you. These questions help lead to the things and activities that may be your passions. After writing your responses ask yourself the following:

o What does it feel like when I’m doing these things?
o Who am I being while I am engaging in these activities? How is it different than how I usually am?
o What’s happening in my body when I do these things?

Now use all of this information to choreograph the dance of your life! Use it as a guide to help you realize what your passions are and start to live from that place all the time. Happy Dancing!!