When working on our dancing dreams, a time always comes - usually on a day when both body and mind are feeling bruised - when we wonder if we aren’t kidding ourselves. For many people, this is all it takes for them to give up and walk away. For Les Brown, that’s just another opportunity for growth.
Les Brown was born in an abandoned building in a low-income area of Miami, Florida. In school, he was classified as ‘educable mentally retarded’. And yet, he has since gone on to become a motivational speaker, author, radio DJ, television host, and politician. The following 5 principles he shared in countless speeches, as a way to find the strength to achieve your goals - no matter what.
1. It’s Possible.
After a rough week, month, or year of ballroom dancing, sometimes a voice inside says ‘c’mon, get real. There’s no way you’re getting there.’ When this happens, remind yourself that it’s possible. Accepting possibility keeps us moving forward, when we would otherwise feel helpless and defeated; it reminds us that we don’t know our true limits or what the circumstances of life will bring us.
And for those of you who don’t believe it’s possible, let me tell you about two women who didn’t accept that for an answer. The first had multiple sclerosis in her left ankle. The second was making minimum wage working at a theatre. Not only did they find the means to take lessons, I had the pleasure of performing with them both. It’s possible.
It’s Necessary.
Most people tend to steer clear of challenges in their life. Either through fear of failure (‘what if things don’t work out?’), or of success (‘what if they do and I can’t handle it?’), they prefer to merely dabble in their dreams, without diving right in. But here’s what’s necessary: To achieve your dancing dreams, you will need to devote considerable time and energy towards lessons and practice. Furthermore, it will send you into unfamiliar territory from time to time. For example, it may be scary to perform, but few things can motivate you to improve faster than accountability to your audience.
It’s You
When the going gets tough, another common temptation is to start blaming your circumstances: ‘I never have enough time, I can never focus, and anyway I hurt my toe dancing last week. I’ll never be a great dancer at this rate.’ But ultimately, it’s not your circumstances that determine whether you succeed or fail: It’s you. While it’s not productive to focus on things you can’t change, there’s always things you can do to move closer to your dancing dreams. For example, the person above might a) change their lesson time, b) read an article on improving their focus, and c) treat the injury as an opportunity to unlearn a bad habit!
It’s Hard.
Accepting that it’s hard, and being okay with that, is immensely important in approaching your dancing dreams with determination and good humour. So if you botch that pattern, don’t drain your energy further by bemoaning the fact or berating yourself for not having prepared better; smile at yourself for your ‘unexpected creativity’, and do it again!
It’s Worth It.
What it all comes back to in the end is that having your dancing dreams must be worth it for you. Ask yourself: Why do I want to dance? Then, find an answer that moves and motivates you. Don’t buy into other people’s reasons - find the answer that specific to you, down to the precise wording. Then, type it up and paste it somewhere you can see it every day. Trust it! In time, it will lift you to unimagined heights.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Audio books by Les Brown