Let Your Mind Dance and Your Body Think

I love all these inspirational or quaint sayings:

• When you dance to your own rhythm life taps its toes to your beat
• Dance is a way to find yourself and lose yourself in the same moment
• Life’s a dance, sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow
• When life isn’t the party you hoped for, the best choice is to dance
• When you have the choice to sit it out or dance, always dance.

I love them because I’m most free, I soar emotionally in ways I cannot explain, when I dance.  And, when I reflect on it I realize that there’s a twinkle of that same feeling when I’m intensely engaged in work. For me, my best moments are always when I act like life’s a dance.

For most of my adult life, I’ve done two things with passion:  the business I’m engaged in, and dancing.  So I was almost taken aback when I read nearly identical words in the introduction to Valeh Nazemoff’s new book, “The Dance of The Business Mind.”  She began the book with “For most of my adult life, I’ve had primarily two great loves – – by day, my business; by night, dancing.”

Wait!  Those are my words!

Until I read her book, I’d never really made the connection.  That the passion with which I do business, the  business that I love, is the same passion that I feel on the dance floor.  I’m committed to what I’m doing, I’m confident that I have the right plans and the right moves, I’ve honed my talents and skills, and I’ve performed with success.

One of the cliches we’ve all heard is “do what you love and the money will follow.”  While that may or may not be true, one thing is certain.  If you do what you love with passion and commitment you’re much more likely to create the results you desire.  And that’s summed up in a quote that Valeh shares at the start of her book:

“You must give everything to make your life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in your imagination.”   Roman Payne

Dance.  Perform.  Succeed.

In “The Dance of The Business Mind,” Valeh reminds us that “extraordinary performances and success in dance, as in all of life, are created by our passionate involvement in the moment; coming from continuous mental and physical practice.”  To achieve that, she encourages the reader to let the mind dance, and let the body think.  Meaning, trust the natural knowledge you normally subjugate to the ruling of the mind.  And then, let go of the usual logic of the analytical mind and let it dance.

While that might seem a tall order, it opens new possibilities for creative expression.  It’s a joining of the two “partners” within all of us.  In so doing, the whole engages passionately and performs at the highest levels.  Because that passion demands nothing less than excellence.

(All of) Life’s a Dance

Whether you’re one who loves dance or not, you know that when you’re fully immersed in the process of creation and expression, you most often get great results.  Dance is a perfect metaphor for doing life, and business, in a way that leads to a smile of satisfaction at the conclusion of your performance.  Valeh Nazemoff has created an inspiring how-to manual that breaks down the steps. And makes them clear in a way you’ve likely not seen before.

Ready to tango?  Pick up a copy.