I have this lovely friend in Dubai who regularly shares my love of silly, fun ways to just pump up life. One day she kindly sent me the link for the Dance Walk craze. I loooved it! Watching people strut their stuff down the streets of New York City without a care in the world made my heart warm, my hips wiggle and put a great big smile on my face.
Dance walking has become popular world-wide and it seemed to me that we could use some of that good stuff right here at home. Bring on Dance Walk Regina 2012!
But for me, this isn’t just about feeling good and sharing that with others. It’s about what we learn by playing in an arena that we aren’t all that comfy with. How many of you are saying right this minute “this looks like fun but I’m a crappy dancer” or “man, I wish I had the nerve to do that”. I’m guessing that you will be the ones to sit back and follow the thread of conversation about it. That’s your comfort zone, or as many of my clients call it…the fear zone.
The fear zone is your default place. It’s your familiar place, the place you’ve always known and therefore know what to expect. Let’s be honest, it’s a place that we’d all rather stay in at some point in our lives. From that place, you will never get that tight, queezy feeling in your stomach that comes when you are faced with new challenges to how you have always done things.
Gremlins, or your inner critics, absolutely adore this place and have built a permanent home here. My guess is that they have also built a monument to themselves on the front lawn of that home but that’s another story. Gremlins love the fear zone as it’s where they have you by the short ones. No matter what happens, they are in charge of you. It’s the place where they scare the crap out of you by simply suggesting that you’re gonna look like a fool or a complete idiot if you try to move into any other place. The message is that you have no choice in the matter if you want to stay safe. And you buy into that because if you put yourself out there, others may see the real you… the one who may not be perfect, the one who may not be worthy of love and respect.
Ok, it’s time to call bullshit. None of us are perfect and frankly, striving for perfection is an energy sucking pit. We are all worthy of love no matter what we can or can’t do, what our skills are, or even what mistakes we have made in the past.
And your fear zone is not comfy at all. It is stifling, constricting, and a place where you have no power. It holds you in the space of unworthiness. It holds you back from doing things that you want to experience…the things that you find enjoyable and put that big warm smile on your face.
This is about recognizing the limits of your fear zone and the benefits of moving out of it. It’s about taking a deep breath and using all you have to move from a place of fear and lack of control to one where you are in charge. It’s about stepping into a place of unknown and having the guts to just be there. It’s about placing a bet on yourself and being prepared for whatever happens. It’s a place where even though you are completely open and vulnerable to your fears of being judged, by taking the leap you are also becoming free from your self-imposed limits. It is a place of sheer human growth, and it truly rocks!
So ask yourself a couple of questions, and journal your answers. How is staying in your fear serving you today? What are you truly getting out of it? What would it feel like to do something different, something you’ve always wanted to do? What’s worth doing even if you are afraid? How would you be different afterward?
So whether you think that Dance Walk Regina is the ticket to your warm heart and smiley face is not important. Give some thought about what you do find fulfilling, what would give you that warm heart, and just make it happen.
On August 18th, I’m putting myself out there and dancing around Wascana Lake with my peeps. Dance Walk Regina 2012 is my step out of my comfort zone into a place of freedom.
How about you get out of your own way too, so you can truly experience life. Let me know what happens. Maybe we’ll see you on August 18th!
