"Say, we can go where we want to, a place where they will never find, and we can act like we come from out of this world, leave the real one far behind." - Men Without Hats
West End Girls, do you remember this tune? Anyone who knows me well, knows that I turn this one up absolutely every time I hear it in order to take in the full experience. Why? It inspires my happy feet & soul. Music and dance are definitely two of my absolute favorite things in life so making time to enjoy both are two things that I strive to make time for whenever humanly possible, to maintain my own mind mechanics. What do you make time for on a daily basis to fill your internal happiness tank? I hope you have an answer for this question.
As life continues to get busier, filling up with valuable substance, responsibilities, wants, needs and desires, I regularly troubleshoot my days and nights to evaluate my internal joy balance. When I was in my teens and twenties, I dedicated anywhere from 4-5 days per week dancing in Denver nightclubs, house parties and or underground warehouse parties where sweaty ceilings dripped on crowded rooms until the wee hours of the morning. Why? Dopamine and serotonin production, of course there was also a fair amount of dopamine and serotonin depletion, but that's a completely different blog post for another day and topic discussion. When I left for the military, those days all came to a screeching halt, however, my soul never stopped dancing.
Now, just over four decades into this wild journey, I begin to carve out more time to do everything that I love and am designed to do as often as possible. I'm not 21 anymore, my body is strong and healthy, but I am very aware of the differences from then until now; which is precisely why I do what I do each day to preserve this remarkable temporary temple of mine. Intelligent and mindful diet choices and movement help maintain core strength, awareness and muscle memory, which keep me nimble and quick like Jack. It's these seemingly small things that genuinely make life remarkable each and every day, regardless of what I'm doing or where I am.
Starting my day with 1hr of dance has become my #1 Do the Opposite (See previous blog post), high impact activity of choice. Why? Although I'm healthy and in good shape, I know my body well and I know when I'm not at peak performance. Building a business often ends up taking priority for many folks due to our responsibilities, love and passion for the business; we often leave ourselves as the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or even 6th priority behind all other things and people. The most important thing for all of us to remember, entrepreneurs or not, "We are always #1." Before ALL other things. Why? Without our health and wellness, there is nothing else. We have nothing of quality to offer others if we can't control or enjoy ourselves.
Summary : Do What You LOVE. Make time. Happiness and pleasure are soup for the soul, good medicine and something we can all rely on when we ourselves possess it. "Make it happen, no one else can accomplish this for you." Dance like no one is watching.
Much love,
The-Mind-Mechanic