Blog Post
Title: Feeling Lucky
Summary: Finding gratitude every day
To be published March 2nd 2022
Happy Wednesday IHD Family! Another month has gone by at the studio and we feel so lucky to have had another month to do what we love. It can sometimes feel difficult to feel truly grateful. When we go through hard times, feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed with our lives, finding things to be grateful for can be hard to do. Just like anything in life, being gracious is something that becomes easier with practice. Here are some tips for finding gratitude in your life.
Write it Down
Making lists always helps organize our thoughts, so why not do it with gratitude. Each day take a moment to make a list of the things you are thankful for. This can be a mental list or even better put it down on paper or in your iphone notes. After a couple weeks of writing your lists you can go back to review your list and take stock of the many things you have to be grateful for. We suggest starting your day with this practice as it will start your day on a positive note and help you lead your life with gratitude.
Be Consistent
Creating a habit takes practice and practicing gratitude is no different. Along with trying to be consistent with starting your day with a daily list of things you are grateful for, take time throughout the day to express your gratitude. Add things that give you joy or peace to your mental list, express your gratitude for the people who support you with a heartfelt “thank you” or “I love you” and spend time revisiting, doing things, or surrounding yourself with people that bring you joy daily.
Sweat the Small Stuff
Sometimes when we start going through the things we are grateful for we get focused on big events or life altering things. When it comes to practicing gratitude daily we should also include the small things in our life that support us and help us get through life a little happier. Some days we might feel grateful for the ability to move our bodies. Others it might be the half hour of extra sleep we grabbed on a Saturday morning. We might be grateful our intense studying for a math test paid off or that our dog sat next to us on the couch for some after school snuggles. When it comes to finding gratitude, size doesn’t matter.
At IHD we work hard to be grateful every day. We are certainly grateful to share our love of dance, the ability to move our bodies, our students and their families who make up our amazing community and the studio we call our home away from home. Taking time each day to take stalk of the things that support and encourage us and make us happy makes any hard day a little better and any amount of hard work so much more worth it.
Happy Wednesday IHD family! Welcome to another month of the studio. Today we want to ask, why do you take dance class? Some people will say, “I love the feeling of being on stage.” Others answers will be “I love the confidence it gives me” or “I love the discipline and schedule of my dance training.” Whatever the answer is, it usually involves the word “love”. We’ve all heard the saying, “If you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life” and that is so true in dance. Young people fall in love with dance and it often lasts a lifetime. How can you use that love for dance to enrich your life and spread that love with those around you? That’s what we’re talking about today.
Share your Talent
Dance is meant to be shared! Because it is also a personal and emotional practice, dancers can sometimes feel nervous to share their work. We encourage you to let go of this fear and share your talent with anyone who will listen or watch. Invite your friends and families to your shows, teach your younger cousin a few moves at a family gathering or perform at school events. Love is contagious and those around you will feel the joy you have for dance if you let them in. Watching someone you love do what they love is one of life’s great joys, so why not give that gift to your loved ones?
Be a Leader
Another way to share your love of dance is to become a leader in your studio or dance community. You can apply to assist classes and share your knowledge and passion for dance with younger generations. You can volunteer to help at community events or recitals. In class you can commit yourself to maintaining a positive and encouraging attitude with your teachers and peers. Finding ways to lead those around you is a great way to spread your love of dance.
Give Back to The Community
The whole dance community has been through a rough time in the last couple of years. A great way to show your love of dance is to give back to your community. Within the studio, you can volunteer your time or attend extra classes or activities. Even engaging with or sharing your studio’s social posts can help give back to your studio community. In the wider community you can attend or promote local shows, volunteer at theater events, or offer to perform at charity events or retirement communities. Be vocal about things going on in your community and take steps to support the dance and the arts in and out of the studio.
February is all about spreading love. We encourage you to take some time this month to share your love of dance with those around you and the dance community as a whole. Wishing you a month full of joy and love!
