A couple of weeks ago I got a chance to see the Netherlands Dance Theater group (above) perform live in Chapel Hill, NC. I believe it will be one of the seminal moments of my life. I was three rows from the stage, which meant I was maybe 30 feet from 20 people who were some of the best in the world and undoubtedly living the life of their dreams. It wasn’t easy work, they were shaking from the exertion by the end, but they got a standing ovation (and many southern hoots and hollers, which always amuses foreign performers). In the picture above, they are performing in an indoor ‘rain shower’ — incredible!
But the thing is, I believe 100% that we all have the potential to be that amazing. Here’s my takeaways on how to do it —
- Be willing to work really hard. The get thing is, once you dedicate yourself, you’ll find all these incredible things, all these riches and magic, on the other side of hard work. Most people never see how great it is.
- Let the shit fall away. This inarticulate idea is none the less the #1 thing I came away with from the event. If I want to be that amazing (and I do), I need to get rid of junk from my house, fat from my body, any unhappy relationships (actually everyone’s golden, but it’s a good thing to think about). Blast yourself out of the stratosphere of the commonplace and into the realm of the gods.
- Just do what you love. All the NDT performers come from different countries and, because this is modern dance, they all have different body types (not your 20 identical swans ballet troupe). These people are all extraordinary, and so happy, but I’m sure they had to fight to find the place where their dreams could come true. I’m sure a LOT of people told them doing modern dance would never be a real job — and now, because they never quit, they are living proof that ‘what you want wants you’. So, if you know WHAT you really want to do, know that you CAN do it. Now go watch some Youtube dances!
Stay Extraordinary 