David Earl Woodbury
No 10: Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury
Friday, November 28, 2014
The Magic of Planning Success!
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the purpose from above that prevails.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness.
Guess what? I’m a planner. I’m working on 2015 dates in my calendar. I know just what is happening each day, week, month, and all this year. You can ask me any Arthur Murray date and you’ll have an answer.
Yet, life throws us a curve sometimes. We may be in the wrong place, or someone may come to us in an unexpected moment and all plans change. All of us have had a car break down, a flight canceled, a ride not show up, an appointment cancel. We have to change our path and move forward to an unplanned schedule.
This is one reason I love ballroom dancing so much. We take the dance floor with 20 other couples and an unknown Waltz begins to play. We have rehearsed, but we have never heard this song, we have never seen the other dancers on this new dance floor in this new venue. The amazing part of the competition is that no one hits anyone else (in a perfect situation!) and the etiquette of the floor keeps us all moving as if it was all choreographed ahead of time.
When we dance socially, we do not know where the other couples may move about. The music may change, the dancers may shift spots, we may have lots of room, or no space at all to exhibit our dance talents and moves. For the experienced, we love this wonderful challenge. It’s a bit of heaven to be on a floor filled with others who love dancing, moving to the music, and linking together of all the exquisite moves of the dance.
Life is going to make you change. We think we have it all planned out and then…WHAM…life makes an alteration. The willow bends in the storm, the gale brings down the oak. I have learned over the years to bend and move with the flow of life. As Maria Callas said, I pray that God gives me the strength to accept the challenges given to me. I ask for the same.
Want to be
flexible in life, enter a dance competition. Go to an Arthur Murray Dance Party. Compete in a multi-dance championship and sharpen your abilities to change at the drop of a hat and learn to enjoy the shifting landscape of life.
Thank You,
David Earl Woodbury
Next Week: When will all this hard work pay off?