“Don’t Settle”

Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury                                Arthur Murray Santa Monica

Many years ago, I was taught to not settle in my life. To not settle for anything but the best and to not give anything but the best. I thought that I would learn this and have a whole life of not settling for anything ever.

Then, we were locked down twice for a total of 175 days during the pandemic. That is, our business, our dance studio, was closed for that length of time. We transformed into a Zoom school and continued teaching, having group classes and even dance parties online. The parties were fun, although after a few Zoom dances, we all ended drinking and telling stories and laughing and just being together virtually. It was fun and the best that we had at the time.

Then, after the first lockdown, re-opening, then closing a SECOND time, I got sick and my inside pipe opened inside of me and I was going into sepsis. Emergency surgery cut out some of my plumbing and we fixed the leak. Still I was not going to settle.

Then, we were allowed to reopen, a tiny amount at a time, very carefully. Then our school began to grow.

Then, I had a Diabetic Ketoacidosis episode. My blood sugar went to over 800 and I was slipping into a coma and my systems were shutting down. A fast move by my doctor (calling me and yelling at me to go to the ER) saved my life. I’m still not over that in some ways.

As for settling, I had to start over physically in some ways. I was not giving in, but it was rough. I am not a person to easily give up and my body had temporarily given up on me.

Since I was not going to settle, slowly I got better and better. Some days I would get ready, arrive at our school only to have to leave immediately and go home, exhausted from getting dressing and just coming in. That turned into coming in for a few hours at a time. That turned into try coming in for full days. I began to dance at the Arthur Murray Parties. Then I returned to full time at our school.

I was now not settling at all and was looking forward. Then, my mind came out of a fog and I began to think clearly again. My dreams came alive again and I was back.

The struggle to “not settle” was that I had to first get my mind and thoughts back, then my body had to follow what my will and enthusiasm said to do. Still, to this very day while writing, my body is saying to me “what do you think you are doing?”. My mind is saying, “I am not settling, and I’m am dancing forwarding to good health”.

Not settling is not a one-time thing nor a single decision. It is not always an easy thing to do. I had lost my health and my once clear thoughts were in a murky mire of doubt and despair.

A few months ago, I had a vivid dream that woke me up and I wrote my new studio dreams for 2 hours. I then called Joel and we spoke for 2 more hours and then new plan and vision and dream were set in place and reactivated. We were back on track.

I went to the Chamber of Commerce and said, “I’m back!” and was immediately appointed to co-chair a committee (The Ambassadors – My favorite part of the Chamber). I’ve even handed out the baskets at Mass and brought the gifts up again. My new dreams and visions were becoming a reality.

Did I settle? That’s a good question. When I had no health, no strength, I still saw a future and still had a vision, I did not settle. What’s happening now? My health has returned. My enthusiasm has returned. My vision (except for my two cataracts!) is excellent and my joy, hope, and faith are strong.

So, perhaps “not settling” is something we must do on an ongoing basis. Something we must do daily. Hope for the best, expect the best, and be joyful and grateful when you do experience the best. Then, turn around and give your best to someone else and share your victories with them.

Be happy. Never give up. Never settle. It will get better.

Thanks for reading,

David Woodbury