- Corridors of Curiosity
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- The Dance of Life
Hello friend,
Happy Sunday — time to engage in some exploration!
Corridors of Curiosity 006 starts now!
It’s getting lit at the middle school dance — the DJ is spinning the right tracks and the fruit punch is flowing!
The young boy is enjoying his time — even though he is very uncomfortable.
Dancing has never been his strong suit, and this was definitely not the time to get exposed & humiliated.
His strategy is a simple one, fade into the crowd and avoid any kind of excessive showmanship. He is paralyzed by his fear of embarrassment.
“Just nod your head and move around.” the boy thinks to himself
“There’s only about 15 minutes left anyways — I’m never coming to another dance. This is just not fun. I feel like everyone is watching me and judging me.”
“OKAY OKAY — It’s time for us to open up the dance floor! If you’re feeling the groove, it’s time to showcase your moves!” Shouts the DJ as he plays everyone's favorite song: Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 (if you know you know!)
As the circle opens up, the boy observes as his classmates enjoy themselves and dance around looking like fools.
He cannot understand — his classmates don’t care how dumb they look - he notices their intense laughter, their big ole smiles, and most clearly he can see the fun.
As the next song comes on (Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas — just in case you wanted to know) — the boy finds himself feeling the beat in his body.
He can’t help it — he starts tapping his feet and bouncing his head.
“People in the place, if you wanna get down, put ya haaaaaands in the air — “will. i. am — drop the beat now!” Fergie blasts through the speakers
Before the boy knows what going on, he finds himself pushed into the middle of the circle. At first, he hesitates and is shocked, a million thoughts running through his mind.
“Who pushed me?!” He looks around and sees his friends.
“You got this! Hit them with the stanky leg!!” screams his friend Enthusiasm
“Your time to shine — you’re built for it!” yells out his friend Self-Belief
“Nobody cares if you can’t dance, just move to the beat!” confirms his friend Confidence
He is faced with a simple decision: leave the circle or let go of the fear holding him hostage. The music is drowning out his thoughts—“I BE ROCKING THEM BEATS! YUP YUP!”
“This is my circle - I can do no wrong!” the boy whispers to himself
The boy gives his full effort, moving with energy and enthusiasm, laughing his way through the rest of the song. He looks around — NOBODY is judging him — everyone is just enjoying themselves.
As the dance comes to an end, the boy is gleaming with pride. He conquered a dragon today — he earned a cookie in his cookie jar, and he discovered a new part of himself.
New Challenges + New Adventures = New Experiences + New Perspectives.
Find your Flow, Find your Pace, Find your Faith.
Let go of “their” expectations. Shit, let go of your own expectations.
Enjoy this life — unapologetically. Jump in the circle every once in a while.
It is hard to learn how to dance while sitting on your pants!
“LET THE BEAT ROCK - THIS BEAT BE BUMPIN BUMPIN, THIS BEAT GO BOOM BOOM!”
The middle school dance was one of the first times I remember being faced with a challenge that scared me to my core.
After my middle school dance, I suddenly had a newfound sense of self.
I believed in myself just a bit more — at 12 years old that is crucial!
Taking on the challenge was something I could’ve never imagined leading up to the dance — my plan was to stay out of the way!
Yet — something inside me felt the need to be expressed.
As I grow older, I am able to learn lessons from fear.
After all, fear is simply a driver.
It is up to us whether that driver is driving us towards our dreams or towards our nightmares.
Fear Identification
Gain Awareness
Fear usually manifests in a physical manner. Pay attention to moments when your heart beats faster, your mind races, and times when you feel uncomfortable.
Ask Clarifying Questions
Is this fear going to end my life?
Is this a rational fear to have?
Is this something deeper than fear?
What is this fear trying to hold me back from?
Accept Reality
Fear is a natural human emotion — we feel fear so viscerally that it often makes us freeze in our tracks. Or it may cause us to act in ways adverse to our character and vision.
Our mind is programmed for survival, so when we feel fear of normal life things — our mind sends messages of caution to the body and spirit.
This leads us down a path of fight or flight. Hesistation and overthinking are synonymous with this stage unless we work on our fear response.
Fear is often a signal. This signal is useful for determining which steps to take next. (or which steps to avoid!)
Reflect and Advance
Advance towards your fears or reflect on the best pathway through or around your fears.
Limit emotions here. Make the best decision with the information you have.
Reflect on the fear and your response. How do you want to respond next time in a similar situation?
Some types of fear I have experienced in my lifetime:
Fear of Judgement
Fear of Failure
Fear of Success
Fear of Wasted Time
Fear of Work and Effort
Fear of Relaxation
Fear of Challenge
Fear of Action
Fear of Change
Fear of Staying the Same
I probably have plenty of “blind fears” that I have yet to discover.
The ones I listed above showcase quite the paradox.
Fear is paradoxical in nature. Fear is subjective. Fear is omnipotent (if we let it be!)
One person will pick up the snake and give it a kiss while the other person runs in the opposite direction.
The point is that the quicker we can identify our fears, the quicker we can begin to break them down.
The quicker we can break down our fears, the quicker we can overcome them and transcend into the person we dream of being!
Fear is a nuanced topic.
In certain situations, fear can save our lives.
In other situations, fear can hold us back from living our best lives.
However, we always have a choice. Self-reflection allows for a deeper understanding of what we are truly afraid of.
Is this a comfortable process? Absolutely not!
It is one of constant iteration. Always working on improvement.
Day by Day — we overcome the things that used to hold us back.
Utilize Enthusiasm, Confidence, and Self-Belief in your battle against your fears.
See you next Sunday,
Embrace the Chase
Paril Bhakta
Paril’s Top Five List
Top Five (actually 7) Attributes that Annoy Me (sorry, I need to get this off my chest!)
Lack of Spatial Awareness
Inability to read a room
Clout Chasing
Constant Complaining
Lack of Eye Contact when having a direct conversation
Fake Love
People who lack basic empathy