Have you ever been at the gym, headphones in and Spotify rolling, when a real good jam comes on? Ever felt compelled to dance right there? Like full on, get down and boogie? I have been tempted, but the thought of cutting a rug across the turf while others are pushing a weighted sled on that same turf seemed too bold and a tad bit disruptive. But now? Absolutely. And one of these days I may just do it.
What changed my mind? It all started with a treadmill. Between the days I work with my trainer, I try to hit the treadmill and pretend to climb hills. (Gotta be ready for hiking when I manage to travel out of this flatland hell known as North Texas.) One day as I was staring at the TVs hanging from the ceiling and jamming to some AC/DC, I caught some motion on the turf in front of me. Curious, I looked down and was surprised to see a woman getting down – right there in the gym where anyone could see. And she didn’t give one flying fig. She was in the zone, and I was mesmerized.
While I traipsed up the pretend mountain I was traversing, she was dancing her way to fitness. At first I didn’t realize that it wasn’t her just taking a break by doing a quick jig between sets. I mean we all need to dance it out once in a while, right? As I continued to watch her I realized she was actually working out. It was a fluid routine of hops, skips, shimmies and squats. Then she danced over to the weight rack, grabbed a couple of hand weights and began to work her arms in conjunction with her lower body movement. It was a joyous site – and a great little way to keep me entertained on my monotonous climb.
I have seen her several times now and watching her never ceases to infect me with a little bit of her joy. It reminds me that I don’t have to trudge through a work out and just get it over with – I can actually enjoy it – if I adjust my attitude. I promise you won’t have to run into me at the gym and witness my terrible, lacking in coordination and grace, dancing. But you may find me on the treadmill, again, with a Cheshire Cat grin on my face. You see, that lady inspired me to use my time on the treadmill thinking about why I’m on it in the first place. And it puts a smile on my face. It also emboldened me to actually jam out myself and sing, silently of course, along with whatever track the magic DJ on Spotify decides I need next.
So thank you dancing lady for having the courage to dance with yourself for all to see. It truly is inspiring and motivating. I can’t be the only one whose day you brighten. And you may not see it, but I’m dancing right along with you in spirit.
What about you? Have you ever been inspired by the freedom and joy of another person? Has it helped you endure a difficult experience, or flipped the switch on your feeling about a grueling task? Let us know in the comments. And please don’t forget to hit the like, share and subscribe buttons. Thanks!
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to cue up the classic Billy Idol song, “Dancing With Myself” and work on my fitness.
Shannon R. Brown 