Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury
Arthur Murray Santa Monica
A new year is such a wonderful time. New goals, new beginnings, new hopes and dreams, new opportunities.
I remember my magical studio theme before the lockdowns “Seeing Clearly in 2020”. I had an entire year planned on that theme and well, you know what happened. What really happened with Arthur Murray is that we completely reinvented our method of teaching privates, groups and parties to Zoom lessons in just a week!
Arthur Murray worldwide learned how to master teaching in our living rooms, having Showcase Routines filmed and edited and even large dance competitions on Zoom. It was amazing and I’m so proud of Arthur Murray for making dreams come true during that rough year.
This does not mean we can continue just Helter Skelter, we must still be vigilant. We all now have new dreams and visions in his new world we are living in.
Our plan to “Soar in ’24” is to have our best year in the history of our school. We had a very strong year in for 2023. Now, our January will be amazing with the Global Teaching and New Student Challenge. I am planning goals that are not even possible right now. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not scene”. Heb 11:1.
My goals are based on a dream and a vision of our school taking off in 2024 and truly soaring to the heavens. I am a huge dreamer and I believe that dreams come true. I know that if I just plan out what is in front of me, I will not accomplish very much. But, if I plan on all the possibilities, and I’m willing to work hard to make the dreams come true, we will be flying high.
How about for you in your life? Are you planning great things? A you ready to have a banner year? For some, a great year will be having the energy and ability to rise in the morning and get through a day. Others, a dream year will be rising early in the morning for daily prayers and meditations. Some will tear down the barn and achieve huge goals and achieve great fortunes. A goal of many is good health. Or recovering from illness and grief. All goals are good.
Please let me share my personal downfall. I compare myself to others. Have I achieved as much and done as much as someone else? Do I envy the outward success of others? Or am I working continually to do my best and help others achieve their goals?
I love to watch birds effortless taking off into the air. Also, I love watching the largest planes in the world speed down a runway and magically take flight and travel thousands of miles and safely land. How is flight possible?
For some, taking flight is effortless. For some, nearly impossible. So, for me and our school, we are going to “Soar is ‘24” and I know that we’ll have much more to show for it by December if we just look forward knowing that we can achieve our goals.
While writing this, I wish for you with all my soul that you find your dreams and achieve your goals.. Take a step forward and you’ll be halfway there. Look up. Watch the birds fly. Then say to yourself, I’m going to “Sore in ‘24!
I’m pulling for you and praying for you…yes you!
Thanks for reading!
Here’s to dancing in 2024!
David Woodbury