“It’s never what the other person is having, doing, or saying — it’s how we react to it that matters”
―Neale Donald Walsch
Do you always try to set a good example? Have you ever noticed someone imitating your behavior? Are you aware of it when you’re on top of your game?
Cliches like ’take the high road’ make it seem so simple. It’s always after the fact when we notice that we could have been a little calmer, spoken a bit more kindly, or chosen more loving words in any given situation.
But ‘being a bigger person’ isn’t about having a set of routines or rehearsed lines, it’s about cultivating a mindset that’s geared towards presence and the ability to flow in a way that we can be happy with later in any situation.
It’s only logical to want to ‘be the change’ you wish to see in the world. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, especially when our buttons get pushed. We see people telling others what to do on one hand while acting entirely differently on the other all the time.
For those of us who have kids, life is a daily lesson in this. And if you don’t the universe still plays this lesson out on a regular basis. We’re all primates and the concept of ‘monkey see, monkey do’ is baked into our genes.
It’s called ‘modeling’ and by that I don’t mean vogueing on a catwalk. Our mirror neurons respond to the actions of others, we have a somatic reaction whether our mind perceives it or not.
To prove this to yourself just notice what happens the next time you’re with a group of people and you notice someone yawning out of the corner of your eye. Chances are good that you’ll catch a case of the yawns yourself in short order.
When you get in the habit of being present and responding with love and kindness, it’s almost as if the universe turns every interaction into an escalator rising towards higher consciousness, with the side effect of good fortune thrown in as a bonus.
This week the inter-webs blew up with a shining example of this. Jagmeet Singh, a Canadian politician who happens to be a bearded and turban-wearing Sikh, was rudely heckled during a campaign appearance by an unhinged woman hurling racial epithets and anti-Muslim slurs.
Rather than taking the bait and descending to her level, he simply kept repeating that he was there to promote love and goodwill, and that she was welcome to her opinion. When asked later why he didn’t correct her about not being a Muslim, he wisely pointed out that “I didn’t answer the question because my response to Islamophobia has never been ‘I’m not Muslim.’ It has always been and will be that ‘hate is wrong’.”
The upshot was that karma favored his calm reaction by amplifying his message with millions of views and boosting his chance for election more than any campaign ad could have.
You have innumerable opportunities to model ‘the high road’ on any given day. Sometimes you’ll have to pause and catch your breath, allowing the triggering moment to pass while you reconnect with your cool, calm and collected center.
It’s in that pause for presence that your cosmic escalator to higher consciousness ascends. Let yourself ease into the flow and model the change you want to see in the world!
Have a great week and see you next Monday!
M+
Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine
Dance First Member Spotlight – Natalie Southgate and Chakradance!
This week’s Dance First Member Spotlight shines on Natalie Southgate and the global Chakradance facilitators community. With headquarters based in Australia, and a network of teachers and trainers spanning the globe, Chakradance is a healing movement practice designed to be a form of nourishment for your true self and soul.
Specifically created movement patterns resonate with each of your chakras guiding you to an inner dance of release and reconnection. It’s a wonderful practice for fledgling facilitators, the basic training is a home-based program with coaching from Natalie available to you anywhere in the world.
Fusing ancient wisdom with modern music to create an exciting new well-being practice, Chakradance is an amalgamation of tools and techniques for transformation that are universally beneficial.
The most recent addition to the Chakradance repertoire is Inamojo, a well-being program for primary-school age children that weaves together stories, movement, art, and meditation with specially composed music.
Natalie is a dynamic movement innovator and a positive force in the global conscious dance field. Be sure to visit their website and learn more about Chakradance and their trainings.
And be sure to download all of the free gifts and mini-classes they have available including a Chakra Health Check and Chakradance Full Moon Dancing Prayer.
Thank you so much for all your great work and creativity Natalie! You and your partner Paul and your global team of teachers and trainers are bringing the light of movement to the world where it is needed most! We appreciate your continued membership in the Dance First Association and are happy to help you spread the word!
Visit Chakradance.com and Inamojo.com to learn more!
