Meditation, the Subconscious, and Why I Should Go Ahead and Dance.

Interrelated Streams of Messy, Messy Thought:

[Image source: here.]

(1)
It's amazing what quiet moments of reflection (meditation) can yield. You go through flashes of discovery, creativity, and conscious articulation of deeper thoughts and feelings.

The past weeks have been dented by pressure from different spheres of my life, punctuated by my intense bouts with moodiness and procrastination. I needed a break. I needed to withdraw from the chaotic world and crawl up in my own little quiet space and time, talking to no one except me and myself. I needed to feel grounded and serene again.

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(2)
I hadn't exercised nor danced in a while, which might have partially caused my moodiness. Sometimes we get too embroiled in work we "have" to do; we forget to indulge in little pleasures and innate curiosities that remind us how much we love life.

Dancing is expensive, and I don't just mean that in terms of money, but of time and energy as well. As with any creative activity, dancing can be emotionally draining too. I have pretty much stopped it because I can't afford it, what with all my other priorities. But I do miss the form of expression that dancing allows. It has left a void in me that not even writing could satisfy.

From a career standpoint, it makes sense for me to keep writing and keep honing it. But what about dancing? Why would I invest any more time and effort into dancing? It's "just" a hobby. It doesn't have "practical" value. (Besides, I'm not even a good dancer. But that's not the point.)

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(3)
So one night, while meditating in my bed, two seemingly distinct and incongruous spheres of my life -- work and hobby -- came together. I came to a resolution as to why I should go ahead and dance: my native curiosities (dancing included) are goal achieving. Just because I have to train myself to be more business savvy doesn't mean I should give up my creative touchy-feeliness.

Awareness of movement and bodily expression, plus the ability to evoke (intended) reactions from an audience, will help make me a better Media Coach in the future (should I choose to become one).

Dancing has already developed in me a nuanced eye for body language. That's important. If I am to eventually train executives to communicate their points persuasively to the public, for example, it helps to be able to teach them the finer points of body language too, right?

To add, dancing is performance. So is appearing before a cynical public to defend a contentious issue. That's performance, and with high stakes at that. You might say those two (dancing and PR) are apple and orange. Maybe, but also they're both fruit; i.e., they're both performances. And underlying every successful performance is the ability to find ways to tell your (side of the) story to your audience, and be powerfully convincing about it. Connection, baby, connection.

If you're not convinced by my argument above, think of it this way: dancing involves a certain level of competency in acting and projecting your presence on stage. Same thing can be said about, say, appearing on a live TV news show to answer tough questions from a reporter. Let's face it, we're living in a highly mediated culture where issues can be aired on some form of media. The more you know about acting and projection (among other things...oh, don't forget truthfulness and ethics...anyone?), the more comfortable you'll be when you're called to the task of facing your stakeholders.

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(4)
What was my point again? Oh, this: It's important not to alienate myself from the things I enjoy, remote as they may seem from the hard-pressing realities of life.

Continuing to enjoy the activities I love will help me perform better in the other spheres of my life. Deprivation will only make me grumpier and unmotivated.

My hobbies and native curiosities are goal achieving. Apart from the joy I derive from them, they also help me develop skills that are transferable to other spheres of my life. The challenge is for me to recognize those skills and know how to deploy them under different contexts.

Engaging in "play" (hobbies, etc.) allows us to see "work" from a different perspective. While playing, even as the conscious part of the brain is engaged in playing, the subconscious mind is actively working towards creative solutions to nagging work problems.

In fact, that is why some of the most brilliant discoveries ever were made while the genius was relaxing after some intense work. Think Isaac Newton: he "discovered" gravity while resting under a tree, watching an apple fall to the ground.

Also, think about babies: play is the arena where they first learned about socializing, life, etc. It's also where they first learned to test their boundaries (e.g., their physical strength).

Play is crucial to growth and performance. Continuing to enjoy the activities I love will help me perform better in the other spheres of my life. Deprivation will only make me grumpier and unmotivated.

So what the heck, I'm a go ahead and dance. Kiss my shaking booty.

"Blonde pole dancer" :)
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Tags: :: a day in her life :: allusions and metaphors :: career and (anti-)cubicle :: critical reflections :: ivory tower itches :: strange silly chick ::