Do You Remember? (The 21st Night Of September) Dance More, Think Less.
All month long we’ve had the Earth, Wind & Fire hit song, September playing on repeat in our heads.
It is one of those songs you can’t help but groove to when it comes on. (We know, “the kids” aren’t using that word any more, but it’s only fitting here!) As the first few iconic notes build up to that familiar saxophone series, it’s almost automatic to chime in with your own choice of musical participation: vocals, air sax, the clap-and-snap, or a good ole fashioned head-bob.
In the car, September is a “windows-down-on-a-finally-cool-autumn-evening” jam as you chant the familiar chorus of “ba-dee-ya” or “party-on” depending on who you ask. In short: it is a feel good tune, and any research of the “why” behind the song will back that up.
With such a dance-evoking song stuck in our heads all month long, it raises the question: how often do we dance?
And not just the traditional definition of dancing, but the concept of moving and flowing with the rhythms around us, letting our bodies lead the way instead of our heads.
We spend a lot of time inside of our minds, making decisions, crunching numbers, scheduling, emailing, task-mastering all day long for 5—sometimes even 6 or 7— days of the week. It is no wonder we are tired, stressed, irritable, and craving a break from the mind-heavy hustle of the day-to-day.
How much time do we spend just inside of our bodies?
Swaying in the kitchen while we chop vegetables, singing with the windows down, jumping on the trampoline with our kids or grandkids, running after the dog in the backyard, picking up the old tennis racquet or golf clubs and taking a few fun swings?
How could such time impact that fatigue, stress & irritability?
Oftentimes, we let our minds talk our bodies out of such things saying we don’t have time, we’re “too old,” too tired, it’s a waste of time, what’s the use? We spend our days working hard and our time outside of work thinking about work and tempering our fun, thinking our way through things rather than feeling our way through and giving in to the rhythms around us.
We work with folks everyday whose lives have been altered in some form or fashion by an accident at work— from both the worker’s perspective and the company side. It is always a reminder of how quickly things can change and how little we have control over in our lives. But one thing over which we absolutely have control is whether or not, when the rhythms of life shift, we give in to the dance or retreat to our minds.
Life is so very short and the music so very good.
If only we choose to listen to it.