Dancing and Singing with Joy: Go ahead and let loose

Context: your friends are singing and dancing at a party or at a concert or at a bar. 

You don't feel that you can join in. You stand still and smile with your mouth closed. 

At some time in the past, you were told that you have no rhythm or that you don't have a good voice, can't sing.

Poppycock!

Nonsense!

You are begged to join in. 

But no, you laugh and say "Oh, you don't want to hear me sing!"

You say "I have two left feet."

Hogwash! 

Horsefeathers!

Of course your friends do want to hear you sing and see you dance; they love you and your voice and your body and they want you to feel good.

Of course you can sing and dance. You walk, you talk; you can dance and sing. Even if you have difficulty walking and talking, you can probably do some dancing and singing. (I've seen and heard severly disabled people enjoy moving their bodies to music and singing, singing in a choir with physical and developmental disabilities-yes, they did and it was beautiful!) 

Go ahead and let loose!

Sing loud, or soft, belt or hum. Hum or sing nonsense, because you don't have to know all the words. Just sing the chorus, sing the guitar solo, just sing.

Move your body any way you want, any way you can. You don't have to know choreography or any dance moves that have names. Just sway, or bounce, or wiggle. Just don't hurt anyone, or yourself. 

Delight in the sound of your voice because it belongs to you-it's beautiful, unique in its beauty!

Delight in the movement of your body because it belongs to you, and it's magnificent, wonderful, and like you it's beautiful and unique! 

Do it for yourself, for health and enjoyment. 

Do it for your friends who want to see you happy, who want you to join them in their happiness. You will share your energy with them, increasing their joy, instead of potentially dragging them down with your negativity. 

Go ahead and just sing like you walk or talk, without thinking whether you can do it exactly the same again (for a recording or so you can get paid? You're a professional and this is a gig? No! Nonsense.). Sing without having to be accurate, consistent, in control. Dance without having to be accurate, consistent, in control. Let loose. 

Go ahead. 

Dance.

Sing.

Delight in the music, delight in your friends.

We all need more opportunities to sing and dance for fun. Seek them out, create them, help your friends, your children, your grandparents, and their friends, to experience more singing and dancing together. 

Me, at my disco dance at church.

~ Don't let me catch you telling anyone they can't dance or sing, even yourself!