Life is the Dancer

How profound are these words of Eckhart Tolle: "Life is the dancer, we are the dance". It has taken me about three years to really grasp the inner meaning of this statement and to have it resonate from my every cell.

Well, I'm going to at least try and impart the message of significance that it is to me.

I was participating in a Family Constellation yesterday and had been invited to portray 'LIFE'. I keenly assumed the personification of what life represents to me. Life is constantly changing, it never stands still. It happens all around us whilst we stress and resist and make other plans. So you can see why I started to dance and move around the room, much to the amusement of all present. It soon became evident that my dancing without music was making everyone uncomfortable. I, as 'Life', asked others to join me, but no one felt comfortable. Then another person stepped in to take up another facet of 'Life' as the serious side, because it had been suggested that I appeared frivolous,lighthearted and too happy? Perhaps shallow, not spiritual enough???

Anyhow, long story short, when serious 'Life' stepped into the circle everyone felt safe and unthreatened and protected, which got me thinking.

If 'Life' IS the dancer, then what dance are we choosing to dance? Do we choose the dance of pity, fear, anger, hatred, unforgiveness, suspicion, safety or the dance of faith, risk, love, forgiveness, peace, happiness or serenity?

I then had a flashback to Viktor Frankel's, 'Man's Search for Meaning' where he explores three things that gives man the drive and determination to live. He suggests that some of us live for the people in our lives (our loved ones), some live for the purpose of our calling (our work) and yet others of us live for our suffering, because suffering gives us meaning and a purpose.

So, to roll these two thoughts into one, I suddenly awoke to a new truth, my truth, that some of us will never take up the offer to do the dance of happiness, because the dance of meaning for us may be the dance of self-pity or sufferance or even unforgiveness. Even though the switch to another dance is as simple as making the decision. We have become so entangled in our own webs we have woven, that we can't even see that we have followed a path of our own making and that if we just trust and take the first step of faith, we can change our dance, we can choose another dance.

We are the dance. We get to make our choice. Life is the dancer, continuously whirling around us. We may think that we are the one in control, but we're not. Creation happens and destiny happens. Our choices are relative to how we react and participate in the dance. By refusing to dance, we may think that we have control, but we are merely dancing the dance of stubbornness, fear or perhaps anger. However, we are still dancing.

Oriah Mountain Dreamer, in her book, 'The Dance' suggests: "What if it truly doesn't matter what you do but how you do whatever you do? How would this change what you choose to do with your life?... How would this shape your stillness, your movement, your willingness to follow this impulse, to just let go and dance?

One of my most favourite people and singer/song writer, Nianel sings: "This is my moment, I'm taking my chance, Life has invited me, I'm going to DANCE!"

So, I urge you, without self judgement, take up this awesome offer, take the risk and choose a dance, whichever one has meaning for you, but just dance! And when you get tired of the dance you picked, choose another dance, the choices are yours.

Have an awesome week of dancing. Try the sexy tango or a cheeky shuffle. Try a dance of solitude and a wild and crazy Maypole dance. Try them all.

Just dance!

love
Nicolette