Dance With Me
Contributed by Rtr Hui Hui
During my younger days, I was afraid. I was afraid of doing the wrong things, making the wrong move and choices. When I see people do bungee jumping and even dance on the dance floor confidently, I always ask my myself, how they did it?
My family always call me a perfectionist, always wanting things to be perfect. As a result, I was afraid to dance and enjoy life to the fullest. What makes me hold back? FEAR! Fear to do things that would change my life completely.
But, now I had realised that FEAR would not take me far and be the person I want to be today. I had taken steps to conquer my fear. One of example that I had was fear of speaking in public. Then, one day, I took the plunge of joining a Toastmasters club in Petaling Jaya after months of indecisiveness. I did my first speech, which the Ice-Breaker, introducing yourself to your club members. I was shivering and felt like vomiting.
To cut my story short, I had realised that without taking that plunge to do something different for my life (joining Toastmasters), I would not have made new friends, enriched my career and enjoyed my life.
The truth today, I am still trying to overcome and conquer my other fears.
Let me share with you an inspirational story extracted from the world champion of public speaking, J.A Gamache. It makes me inspired after reading this article all over again. Toastmasters International had its annual world champion of public speaking in the States. What you will read below is an personal story of courage from a DJ.
For more information on Toastmasters International, please visit my toastmaster buddy’s blog: tmmichaelpang.blogspot.com
Dance with me
The iron door slammed behind me. Its noise echoed on high concrete walls. Two huge security guards escorted me down a looong corridor!
Mister contest chair, Ladies and Gentlemen. I was in prison... by invitation... working as a Disc Jockey. My job was to make the inmates dance! That day, I would have to deal with angry, abusive, aggressive people... and those were just the security guards!
As I set up my music equipment in the gymnasium, a security guard started placing orange traffic cones aaalll around me.
I said, "What are those for?"
"They're for your protection." We tell the prisoners not to cross the line.
I was among killers, maniacs, psychopaths! But hey! I had a line of plastic cones for protection!... which was great because the first request I got from an inmate was a song entitled: I shot the sheriff!!!
When the music started no one danced. When this happens, to bring life to the party I just step onto the dance floor ... but the moment I crossed the line cones, inmates started to smile. A room full of Dirty Harry's leered at me with eyes saying: "Go ahead, make my day." So I stepped back.
Can you see the irony? Among prisoners, I was the only FREE man delighted to stay behind bars... too afraid to leave an illusion of safety which moments ago seemed so absurd, a line of cones.
Don't you recognize this line Ladies and Gentlemen? It's inside all of us. It's the frontier that separates mediocrity from greatness. Greatness begins at the line of fear.
When we know we should do something scary we ask ourselves questions like, What if it doesn't work? What if they just laugh at me? What if...?
We often wonder what is the price of taking action. What about the cost of standing still?
Have you ever asked yourself: "What if I knew I didn't give my best? What if I knew I took the coward's way out?" What if...
I had stood at this very line many times before. And each time I stayed on this side I felt mediocre. I had to admit that throughout my life the person who disappointed me the most... was me... until I learned to dance.
Today when I come upon a line of fear I put my hands in the air like I don't care. I do this in memory of the day I took my first baby step into greatness.
It was a year later. This time I was at a reception hall entertaining a group of hearing impaired people. My job as a D.J. was to bring music to a roomful of people...who could not hear. No matter what songs I played, no matter how LOUDLY I played them; nobody danced!
Once again there was a barrier between us. Once again I was the outsider and once again I was afraid... but this time I decided to cross that line of fear anyway. I climbed on a speaker and yelled. (Note: J.A. waved his arms in the air.) Well, that's how you yell in sign language!
Someone waved back at me, then another and another...
It worked! We all danced together. At last, we all understood each other. No word was spoken yet no one was silent anymore for in our hearts we could all hear the joy roaring like a thousand voices. I connected to that feeling. Some words erupted from my soul. I couldn't hold them anymore. I yelled, "I love you all" and they all signed back. "We love you too"
For the first time, I broke free. I felt free
Ladies and Gentlemen, Fear is not a barrier. It's a point of departure.
Isn't it time for you to step into your greatness? Think of all you are missing out in your life right now because you are standing still, imprisoned, betraying your true self
For all those times you could have danced but chose to stop ... you could have dared but chose to step back... you could have dreamed and followed your destiny but chose to turn away... it's now time for you to dance.
Make my day...
Can you hear me? (Note: J.A. waved his arms in the air)
Dance with me!
Greatness begins right now and here...at the line of fear.
During my younger days, I was afraid. I was afraid of doing the wrong things, making the wrong move and choices. When I see people do bungee jumping and even dance on the dance floor confidently, I always ask my myself, how they did it?
My family always call me a perfectionist, always wanting things to be perfect. As a result, I was afraid to dance and enjoy life to the fullest. What makes me hold back? FEAR! Fear to do things that would change my life completely.
But, now I had realised that FEAR would not take me far and be the person I want to be today. I had taken steps to conquer my fear. One of example that I had was fear of speaking in public. Then, one day, I took the plunge of joining a Toastmasters club in Petaling Jaya after months of indecisiveness. I did my first speech, which the Ice-Breaker, introducing yourself to your club members. I was shivering and felt like vomiting.
To cut my story short, I had realised that without taking that plunge to do something different for my life (joining Toastmasters), I would not have made new friends, enriched my career and enjoyed my life.
The truth today, I am still trying to overcome and conquer my other fears.
Let me share with you an inspirational story extracted from the world champion of public speaking, J.A Gamache. It makes me inspired after reading this article all over again. Toastmasters International had its annual world champion of public speaking in the States. What you will read below is an personal story of courage from a DJ.
For more information on Toastmasters International, please visit my toastmaster buddy’s blog: tmmichaelpang.blogspot.com
Dance with me
(Speech presented at Toastmasters International's World Champion of Public Speaking 2005 by J. A. Gamache)
The iron door slammed behind me. Its noise echoed on high concrete walls. Two huge security guards escorted me down a looong corridor!
Mister contest chair, Ladies and Gentlemen. I was in prison... by invitation... working as a Disc Jockey. My job was to make the inmates dance! That day, I would have to deal with angry, abusive, aggressive people... and those were just the security guards!
As I set up my music equipment in the gymnasium, a security guard started placing orange traffic cones aaalll around me.
I said, "What are those for?"
"They're for your protection." We tell the prisoners not to cross the line.
I was among killers, maniacs, psychopaths! But hey! I had a line of plastic cones for protection!... which was great because the first request I got from an inmate was a song entitled: I shot the sheriff!!!
When the music started no one danced. When this happens, to bring life to the party I just step onto the dance floor ... but the moment I crossed the line cones, inmates started to smile. A room full of Dirty Harry's leered at me with eyes saying: "Go ahead, make my day." So I stepped back.
Can you see the irony? Among prisoners, I was the only FREE man delighted to stay behind bars... too afraid to leave an illusion of safety which moments ago seemed so absurd, a line of cones.
Don't you recognize this line Ladies and Gentlemen? It's inside all of us. It's the frontier that separates mediocrity from greatness. Greatness begins at the line of fear.
When we know we should do something scary we ask ourselves questions like, What if it doesn't work? What if they just laugh at me? What if...?
We often wonder what is the price of taking action. What about the cost of standing still?
Have you ever asked yourself: "What if I knew I didn't give my best? What if I knew I took the coward's way out?" What if...
I had stood at this very line many times before. And each time I stayed on this side I felt mediocre. I had to admit that throughout my life the person who disappointed me the most... was me... until I learned to dance.
Today when I come upon a line of fear I put my hands in the air like I don't care. I do this in memory of the day I took my first baby step into greatness.
It was a year later. This time I was at a reception hall entertaining a group of hearing impaired people. My job as a D.J. was to bring music to a roomful of people...who could not hear. No matter what songs I played, no matter how LOUDLY I played them; nobody danced!
Once again there was a barrier between us. Once again I was the outsider and once again I was afraid... but this time I decided to cross that line of fear anyway. I climbed on a speaker and yelled. (Note: J.A. waved his arms in the air.) Well, that's how you yell in sign language!
Someone waved back at me, then another and another...
It worked! We all danced together. At last, we all understood each other. No word was spoken yet no one was silent anymore for in our hearts we could all hear the joy roaring like a thousand voices. I connected to that feeling. Some words erupted from my soul. I couldn't hold them anymore. I yelled, "I love you all" and they all signed back. "We love you too"
For the first time, I broke free. I felt free
Ladies and Gentlemen, Fear is not a barrier. It's a point of departure.
Isn't it time for you to step into your greatness? Think of all you are missing out in your life right now because you are standing still, imprisoned, betraying your true self
For all those times you could have danced but chose to stop ... you could have dared but chose to step back... you could have dreamed and followed your destiny but chose to turn away... it's now time for you to dance.
Make my day...
Can you hear me? (Note: J.A. waved his arms in the air)
Dance with me!
Greatness begins right now and here...at the line of fear.
posted by harnniann at 2:55 pm
6 Comments:
Hey, i like this article so much..expecially this statement
"We often wonder what is the price of taking action. What about the cost of standing still?"
Wow! Powerful writing!
"Dance with me" which I understand can be explained as "take the first step with me".
The topic of "FEAR" has been the centre of discussion among the youth without even realising it.
Engtee has pointed out the essence of this article which warrants me to repeat it here:
"We often wonder what is the price of taking action. What about the cost of standing still?"
Thanks Hui Hui for such a wonderful article. Wish we could have the privilege to read more of your article in due course.
Needless to say much, this is such a great article.
So hui hui, i have guessed that you have conquered your fear in dancing too yea...So when can we go out dancing???Do tell me yea!
Ps: LNN also owes me a dance! haha..
cheers,
Tracy
Hello Tracy,
Thanks for your support for this article.
Please call me when you guys want to hang out and chill in Rum Jungle or Passion.
Let's not stop dancing. See you in Philippines.
Cheers
Tracy,
okok.. i schedule it 1st.. hehe
Dont trust you already lar ET. Unless you make a promise here to go dancing with us on this sat after my club's installation, or else nothing can convince me otherwise that you will arrange for it!!!
;) Tracy
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