THE DANCE OF LIFE

It was a quiet, chilly night, though the music was on. It was all about, “Can I have this dance with you?” It was the kind of music that didn’t have noise, where a person only needed to stretch out their hands to you as a symbol of honour to dance with them. People danced with their hearts, and every movement was a combination of two bodies intertwined, free flowing and a symphony where one led and the other followed. Every age group was in the vicinity; it didn’t matter whether you could jump three feet from the floor or your body was inches about to get to the ground, as long as your legs worked and your heart was ready to move. Each person’s eyes in that room carried the light of inner peace. This was where the young found passion and the old found solace.

There was no particular theme of dressing, but one thing was for sure: each dress, each suit, allowed one to move freely. This sense of ease continued into the atmosphere of the gathering. It was an indoor kind of event, the floors were wooden with stains of mahogany, we were not allowed to enter with our shoes on, so everyone had carried their socks for warmth. There is something about dressing up to go for a dance and randomly removing your shoes and putting your socks on when you get to the venue. It felt playful, the kind that feeds your soul with joy and reminds you of how it felt being a kid, carefree, and one thing I stand on is the ability to allow yourself to be childish once in a while, a guarantee to live a much happier life.

The night was filled with much dancing and snacks that were good and bad for our guts, and you chose your poison. As the night wound down, everyone, one by one, went to sit at the fireplace. The shift from energetic movement to quiet reflection by the fire created a natural flow. There is something sacred about sitting around a fireplace that says you can talk to us, you can lay down your fears, your secrets and your fantasies with no judgment. It’s like the fire has a cleansing energy that cleanses all the negative energy away. It always starts with the loudest person, who can never seem to run out of stories to tell, and it winds down to the most philosophical person, who almost always is the silent one, who draws everyone’s attention after a few shots.

As the night stretches, there are those who always seem to be in a hurry to be somewhere else, and then there are those who know nights like this are rare and you'd better live while you are in it. As the room gradually empties, the sense of togetherness lingers. At some point, everyone goes home. Everyone goes with a story of how the night was. Some reminisce of a night like that, memories of how awesome the night was, others it becomes like any other night, one of the many nights they have gone out. For some, they will try to recreate this moment; for others, it’s either or neither; for others, it’s a sure deal; this is not their tribe.

 The magic of that night stayed with me. I knew this would be my thing. This is one thing that would determine the kind of partner I would choose or accept after they chose me, whatever rocks your boat. If they were down for dance lessons, I knew we could dance our way into life. This interaction made me think of life. Of people priding themselves on being stern and participating in a little game or a little dance, to them would feel like childishness. And not being termed as serious could lead to a judgment that they were not serious people.

I have lived in both spectrums of life, when I wanted to prove myself worth of being taken serious, worth of getting big deals, worth of being given serious projects, a projection of how I wanted to be viewed. On the other hand, I have tasted this other side where you live a little, you laugh, and you allow yourself to reminisce on days when you can allow yourself to go on a dance. I would say it comes with age, but not all have allowed themselves to live in that way, societal expectations being high. I am not saying that we should not be serious, there is a time and room for that, and its most time. So, if you need some adrenaline, hop on a speed bike; if you need a feel-good moment, make love. If you need to improve your mental health, get to exercising.

A friend tells me, “Life isn’t serious, so why take it seriously?” At first, you laugh and shrug it off. Then the idea sinks in. Maybe it’s true. Maybe we should live big.

I’ve questioned everything: my purpose, my life, my spirituality, my existence. Most people have these questions at some point. At first, it feels like you’re just winging it—as if you’re moving without direction, hoping to stumble onto answers. Sometimes, those answers disappoint. This might not be where you belong. It’s like paying for DJ lessons and finding out you hate loud music. You have to experience things to know what brings joy. Accept the trials and the failures. You keep searching. Celebrate when success comes, but sometimes even victories feel empty. Maybe you dread the job or business that funds your dreams. Yet, that’s life. With every contradiction, the next decision belongs to you.

There are tools you will need to get to where you want to go. There is discipline, showing up daily regardless of how you feel. You have to sacrifice and forgo some things for the betterment of tomorrow. As you journey on, you might notice a change. And then there is alignment. A time will come when you feel like everything is aligning. All those early mornings are paying off. Things are coming in synchronicity, the logo you made years ago, the business name you registered, the bank account you opened for your business, having no client and finally, all these things come together and you have one successful business. You can see the fruits now. Finally, you can see results, you have bought that house, you are driving that dream car, you have a family now, and all that once felt impossible has now become possible. But this time, there is no sorrow in those things, because you are aligned.

Life is a dance, sometimes you misstep, sometimes it feels like every bone in your body has mastered it's rhythm and sometimes every nerve seems to fail you, whichever it is at this moment, let me know at the comments, and send this to encourage someone as you share love and laughter.