This I Believe: The Happy Dance

During the the holiday time, I was able to read the book This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women, a collection of short essays from the NPR series of the same name that asks people from all walks of life to describe in a few paragraphs their most cherished belief.  The eighty entries in the book led me to think of my own life philosophy and jot down my "personal credo."  Many ideas jumped into my head, but this is the one I settled with.  Enjoy.

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When nobody’s home (and even sometimes when somebody is), I like to dance naked in front of the mirror.  Even if it’s just a two-second shimmy or a full-on solo dance party to a trashy pop song, it never fails to put a smile on my face.  Sometimes I do it after my morning shower, right before getting dressed for the long day ahead.  Sometimes I do it upon getting home after said long day, shedding off the layers of clothing and the rest of the day’s burdens along with them.  Whenever I get to dance naked, I get a unique satisfaction that only the act of moving freely in my birthday suit can provide.

Dancing naked in front of the mirror allows me to be myself - all of myself – and see it in its full glory.  There’s no better way to dance like nobody’s watching like doing it in the nude in the privacy of your own room. I allow myself to unabashedly do what I want without judgment or repercussion.  It reminds me that there are already enough pressures in the world, so I don’t need to impose additional ones on myself.  In taking the time to be alone, in the moment, and in tune with my body, for a few seconds or a few minutes, I can let loose and forget about everything else.  For a temporary amount of time, the only thing that matters is my happiness, and I am in full control making it happen.

This ritual helps me to see that regardless of how much the contrary may seem true, we are each in charge of our bodies and the life inside of it.  In that moment, I have complete agency.  I often forget about my kinesthetic freedom and take it for granted.  If I can control my dancing, what’s stopping me from controlling other aspects of my life?  Dancing naked in front of the mirror is my time to claim what’s mine.

The reason the mirror is so integral is because it is important to reflect: to look at yourself; to laugh at yourself; and ultimately, to love yourself.  By seeing myself as I truly am, doing the thing that makes me feel the most free, I can be comfortable with the confident, expressive, quirky, and beautiful person staring back at me.

Dancing naked in front of the mirror has helped me realize that there are billions of other naked dancing bodies out there, all who want the same thing: true happiness.  By taking the time to be bucknaked and shake what your momma gave you, you allow yourself to find that true happiness within yourself.  This is the key to fulfillment.  This I Believe.