Sometimes dancing means standing still.

I recently went to a two-step dancing night (yes, country music and all). The vibe is very much a “say yes” to any request to dance, so I didn’t hesitate when an older man asked me. 

As we started dancing, he twirled me around and then said “Ohhh, you’ve got a lot of drama in you. That’s a good thing!” Not what I expected to hear, but made me think I was doing something right. Moments later, he brought me to a full stop on the dance floor. Then he looked at me with a smile and said: “Sometimes dancing means standing still.” This pause lasted about two seconds before he started twirling me around again.

It was all so fun and… this man’s dancing words of wisdom hit me differently. Earlier that day, I had been feeling like I was at a standstill in one aspect of my life, and questioning how to move forward.

What I realized is, like a two-step dance, our lives are dynamic: it’s the step forward, the two steps back, the step to the side, the circular twirls, and even the dramatic pause. It's perfectly ok to not have a next logical move. In fact, when we approach our lives like we do a dance, we give ourselves permission to get out of our heads and into our hearts and body. It’s there where we find so much more capacity to navigate and embrace all of the parts of this dance with life.

Trust in all of yourself. Dance with the uncertainty. Know it’s ok to pause where you are. Remember, sometimes dancing means standing still.