Trust Your Path

     I wanted to start off this blog with this quote by Doe Zantamata: “There are no footsteps to follow on your own path… but that’s where the fun and adventure live.”

     This makes total sense… If there are steps in front of you already, the path is already there, and it’s not your path. You may want to go down that path, but again, we all must make our own path. It’s really interesting to look back at my career and to see how I wound up where I am today!

     When I was graduating high school I remember thinking, I want to dance, I want to go to school for Dance Education but I also want to travel. I was trying to be very realistic with my goals and have a backup plan. I auditioned for things right out of high school and didn’t get the jobs I wanted at first. I went to college for a year, and then I did get hired to dance on a cruise ship. Back then we didn’t have online college but I so wish we did. I ended up going on the cruise ship and dancing, doing what I love and traveling the world. I did meet my husband who also was working on the cruise ship so I was married pretty young at age 21.

     When we left cruise ships to live on land again, I went back to Disney because I had worked for them during high school and they had great benefits and I could dance! I was somewhat happy there.

     I kept auditioning for other things and ended up dancing in a Magic Show, Dancing for the AFL, Arena Football League and eventually getting hired to dance for the Orlando Magic NBA dance team for 5 years.

     You know, I think about it now, if I wasn’t married, my story might have been different. I would be very hard to survive on the paychecks that I received working for Disney and the Orlando Magic. I was very lucky to do what I loved while my husband was the main bread winner.

     I then had children and continued to teach dance, I am going on year 22 now teaching. I have taught online and have done choreography for all types of events. I was able to raise my children while still doing what I love.

     Fast forward, I am now teaching dance online while also teaching dance at a local elementary school which is so much fun, very different and challenging but fun! And when I think back, I can truly say I feel fulfilled, I have felt challenged creatively and feel that I am constantly figuring out who I am as a person, as a leader, as a dance instructor, as a mom.

     We can’t compare with each other, we all have different paths, and when we marry and have children our paths can be completed different from one family to the next. So if you are ever feeling down, the worse thing you can do is compare yourself to someone else, or to someone else’s family or someone else’s  financial situation. Enjoy the path. If you aren’t, start a different path. It’s never too late to start a new path. I am 44 and although I have been teaching dance for 22 years, I am a brand new teacher to the public school system and I am excited for something new!

     I recently really needed to change my path for my health. I started a little before January and I have lost 15 pounds, I am feeling a little better and I want to have more energy for my kids and to be present in their lives and not just feeling so tired like I am barely making it through the day. I am still doing my squat challenge and drinking 8 glasses of water challenge. Join me if you like, it’s definitely more fun when you are doing a challenge with someone else!

     I will leave you with this last quote by Joseph Campbell, “ Life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived. Follow the path that is no path, follow your bliss."

Well, that’s it for now, thanks for listening and remember, trust your path, enjoy your path or start a new path!