Who was it that said ‘dance like no one is watching’?…
I have always loved that saying, and despite its’ simplicity, it speaks of a principle that is central to everything you want if you are after success, happiness and fulfillment. Namely, that you have to be who you are no matter what, and that means whether people are watching you or not.
There are two sides to this story, as follows:
- When everyone is watching: Sometimes we feel the need to adjust our behaviour depending on our audience, and these changes are predicated on how we feel about ourselves and the people around us in given circumstances. For example, if you feel super-confident in a certain setting, you may act in an entirely different manner than when you feel meek, insecure, and ‘not good enough’. Yet you are the same person all the time…so why act differently? Certainly there are certain tones of voice and mannerism that are appropriate for different situations, but what I am talking about is being your true self. The key to consistency is knowing yourself and really loving yourself. Invest the time to know – to decide – what you are all about, and then BE that, always. Of course who you are may change as you learn and grow, but let those changes be self-directed, rather than circumstance-directed. When you can walk down any street or into any room with a smile on your face and peace and happy anticipation in your heart, then you will know that you are truly creating your reality, rather than reacting to outside forces. The truth is, people aren’t really as interested in your life as you may think. (!) You will know from considering your daily thought patterns that most of them are about your own life and your own challenges…so why would anyone else be any different? Remembering that other people are mostly engaged in their own mental conversations with themselves is another good way to relax and enjoy yourself in any situation.
- When no one is watching: Are you capable of honoring your commitments to yourself and others whether anyone is watching you or not?…For example, if you work for a living, do you work just as hard when the boss leaves the room as you do when you think people are watching?…If your workout buddy can’t make it to the gym, will you still go?…If you are working from home, can you sit at your desk and be productive as much as you need to?…This is a sticking point for a lot of people; it’s also a real tool for breaking free into the life of your dreams if you decide to choose this way of being.
Dance, play, work, and BE YOURSELF!
July 5th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
I guess being self-serving or self-centered comes naturally to us all, but being self motivated is not as easy to pull off. And that’s not me being cynical but rather recognising our natural human inclinations.
That’s the reason the few who can be self motivated reach such a contrasting position of success as compared to the rest of the population.
I myself work from home and I can attest to the fact that not having a “boss” to answer to can sometimes be a challenge. But I, like many others, still need to get up every morning, sit at that desk and be productive. We each need to figure out our own methods for achieving that state of mind consistently.
July 6th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Thanks, Samir.
You are so right in that self-motivation does not usually come naturally, yet those who have it stand out by going ‘far’ in life.
While we are all worthy of success, only some cultivate the mindset necessary. It’s because these mindset skills are a) necessary to achieve big dreams and b) possible to develop that we write about them, in the hopes that something we write will ‘click’ with someone – or many someone’s – and they will choose to make changes, as we have.
Thanks for being here!
July 7th, 2007 at 9:54 am
I still can’t accept the concept entirely.
In my opinion, sometimes we just can’t be ourselves in order to respect others.
Anyway, thanks for sharing. It’s a nice article.
July 7th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
…also, sometimes it’s easier said than done to respect yourself enough to be yourself no matter what. Although, in reading into what you said, I’m not sure that being myself would cause me to disrespect others…perhaps they may dislike my opinions or the way I think, but I can’t imagine I would come across as disrespectful…hmmm…thinking…