It wasn’t on my to-do list when I woke up.
It hadn’t even occurred to me five minutes before I did it that this was something I ever wanted to do with my life. Yet once I started, I am so glad I did it.
I know you’re curious.
Well, on Saturday morning I won a dance contest. Not any contest, it was a dance contest within a cupcake walk at the Relay for Life kickoff event here in Bakersfield, California. I had never participated in a cupcake walk. I had never participated in a dance contest because I am not known as a proficient dancer.
I elected to be in the cupcake walk because my friend Kimberly was late and a few young women encouraged me. I figured why not? I am a fan of cupcakes.
Then the instruction to dance was given and I started walking and doing a very-slow-Sufi-Whirling-Dervish impression followed by some swimming motions and some hip moves and then some disco-infused arm motions and by the time the music stopped I had done my cardio for the day.
When it came time for the sorority sisters to decide the dance winner I was having so much fun I forgot there had even been a competition at all. When they all pointed to the winner and the fingers were all in my direction I literally looked over my shoulder to see who the winner was: “Me?” I said.
“I am the winner?”
I cheered as if I had just won the lottery and promptly took a selfie with the young women who selected me.
I texted my friend, “I won the cupcake walk dance competition!” I sent the group selfie to Instagram. I laughed myself silly.
The reason I won was I was completely unselfconscious. I didn’t think about how I looked or who was watching or what I would do next. I just acted. I just moved, I just laughed. When I wobbled I wobbled. When I did an imitation of the Bee Gees, I did it with gusto.
What would happen if we simply acted with gusto with everything we did, whether it is going to the post office or doing a presentation to the board of directors?
I know something changed for me on Saturday.
Not only did I become a dance champion, I became more comfortable with me in all my “living in the present” self. Sure, I was ridiculous. Sure, I didn’t care if I looked ridiculous! I was having fun!
What more could any of us want from life?
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Julie Jordan Scott is a writer, creative life coach, speaker, performance poet, Mommy-extraordinaire and mixed-media artist whose Writing Camps and Writing Playgrounds permanently transform people's creative lives. Watch for the announcement of new programs coming Fall and Winter, 2014 and beyond.
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