The lessons we learn in life and what we do with that knowledge project us into the world we create for ourselves.
Ask any professional ballet dancer and they’ll tell you that their core values cover every aspect of their life. These values determine our success or failure.
This is an idea that we perceive as the balance of being. We’ll take a deeper look at these basic principles and you will probably agree, they’re worth incorporating into your world.
Discipline is your friend
The word discipline makes us feel uncomfortable.
But discipline is not the enemy. To perfect a ballet performance, the artist must control every movement, every muscle, and each ounce of his body. They become aware of everything around them and adjust to make their environment work for them. They are very aware of music, floors, air temperature, and props. They are in an intense relationship with the audience.
The discipline they employ is the tool and power they use to unleash their creativity and permit them to reach the top of their artistic mountain.
This discipline is obvious in every part of their life. They incorporate it into how they live, eat, rest, and pay their bills. They incorporate it into how they run their own business. Do they choose costumes for dance recitals or training for their career performance, they’re in control and disciplined.
Focus!
The ability to focus is rapidly fading in our modern society. We are a community of multitaskers who handle many things without delay. We pride ourselves on our ability to send emails and messages from our smartphones while waiting for traffic to attend our next big meeting. We are continuously connected. We cannot function without tablets, computers, phones and social media.
The problem is, there is no such thing as a multitasker. The human brain cannot do two (or 12) things without delay. When you pause these actions to send a fast note, reply to an e-mail, add a date to your planner, you take your focus away from the task at hand.
Focus is essential for professional dancers and is becoming more and more sought after in the workplace. Smart drugs (nootropics that increase our brainpower) are flying off the shelves. Parents balk at the idea of giving their kids harsh prescriptions and fall back to old fashion values of teaching our children self-control, focus, and balance.
Time management that you control
We all hear about time management. In the early phases of time management, our employers or instructors tell us what to do and when to do it, to attain what we are attempting to attain. But, it’s your stepping stone. Real time management is when you have perfected the art of managing your time in a way that enables for everything you need. For example, you can use a timekeeping devices such as Clockspot to manage your time to help you out.
This is where discipline and focus come into play. You focus on your work and provide it 100%. You discipline yourself to prioritize. When your body tells you it needs rest, fuel, and recovery, you work the things it needs into your schedule. You control your time and you use the skills you have learned through your training to ensure all the important bases are covered. Health is at all times at the top. Rest is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Parents who work to master these skills and teach them to their kids are guaranteed success. Children who grow up with these values will incorporate them into their lives and will have fuller and more significant relationships. If you doubt any of these items can be done, watch ballet master. You will see it in action, right before your very eyes.
