Dancing with the Stars and Being Way Out of My Comfort Zone
List the top social fears that individuals face and you will find chorophobia near the top. What's chorophobia? The fear of dancing --- most commonly dancing in front of others.
I recently had the opportunity to test myself and overcome this fear at a local Dancing With The Stars event. It was my chance to put myself out in front of 1,000 people, wear a crazy out of the norm shirt that was low cut and had rhinestones, and do the salsa to the song, "Tequila".
The problem with this is I'm not a dancer. Not even close. For some reason, my feet, hips, and arms can't work in sync. And my hand and arm movements, they look like the scene from Talladega Nights where Ricky Bobby comically loses control of himself in an interview.
It was really hard for me to do something like this, but I was reminded that it was for charity. Ah, the charity hook. I bit.
“The hardest thing to do is leaving your comfort zone. But you have to let go of the life you’re familiar with and take the risk to live the life you dream about.” T. Arigo
There is a large amount of fear and anxiety associated with performing in front of others. In my case, and 99% of others, the fear is totally irrational. I'm not uncomfortable speaking in front of others. Give me a microphone and ask me to speak about business, leadership, or insurance and I light up like a kid at Christmas. You'll have to ask me to stop talking.
I am, however, extremely uncomfortable performing (in this case dancing) in front of others. My fear and anxiety are rooted in my own internal thought that I will look foolish in front of others. That little voice in the back of my head overwhelms me and I rarely dance at any event.
I'm a big advocate of doing things that are outside of your comfort zone and testing yourself both physically and mentally. Trying something new and uncomfortable in life gives you a better understanding of how truly awesome and capable you are. Bonus: It's exciting. And, you'll be more resilient and capable, and much more prepared to push past your perceived limits in the future.
A few other benefits:
Above: Me and my rockstar of a dance partner, Cindy. My weapon, or in this case, outfit of choice used to wow the crowd was a tight, black, low cut, rhinestone, Latin style shirt.
The hardest part is starting. Once the music started though, I didn't even realize there were 1,000 other people in the room. Who would have thought that I could do the salsa in front of all of those people. The fear that I had was totally irrational....and I rocked the Pee-Wee Herman and flossed.
It was 2 minutes and 12 seconds of crazy, uncoordinated dance action. Once the dust settled, I was a rock star to the crowd. (I think most of it was due to my amazing outfit). My fans flocked to me for pictures and to tuck a few dollars and I was reminded that I can do anything.
“Coming out of your comfort zone is tough in the beginning, chaotic in the middle, and awesome in the end…because in the end, it shows you a whole new world.” Manoj Arora
I recently had the opportunity to test myself and overcome this fear at a local Dancing With The Stars event. It was my chance to put myself out in front of 1,000 people, wear a crazy out of the norm shirt that was low cut and had rhinestones, and do the salsa to the song, "Tequila".
The problem with this is I'm not a dancer. Not even close. For some reason, my feet, hips, and arms can't work in sync. And my hand and arm movements, they look like the scene from Talladega Nights where Ricky Bobby comically loses control of himself in an interview.
It was really hard for me to do something like this, but I was reminded that it was for charity. Ah, the charity hook. I bit.
“The hardest thing to do is leaving your comfort zone. But you have to let go of the life you’re familiar with and take the risk to live the life you dream about.” T. Arigo
There is a large amount of fear and anxiety associated with performing in front of others. In my case, and 99% of others, the fear is totally irrational. I'm not uncomfortable speaking in front of others. Give me a microphone and ask me to speak about business, leadership, or insurance and I light up like a kid at Christmas. You'll have to ask me to stop talking.
I am, however, extremely uncomfortable performing (in this case dancing) in front of others. My fear and anxiety are rooted in my own internal thought that I will look foolish in front of others. That little voice in the back of my head overwhelms me and I rarely dance at any event.
I'm a big advocate of doing things that are outside of your comfort zone and testing yourself both physically and mentally. Trying something new and uncomfortable in life gives you a better understanding of how truly awesome and capable you are. Bonus: It's exciting. And, you'll be more resilient and capable, and much more prepared to push past your perceived limits in the future.
A few other benefits:
- You will inspire and motivate others
- You will have no regrets
- You will break free of limitations and realize your potential in other areas
- You won't shy away from future opportunities
- You will realize that your fear is irrational
- You will change your mindset
“I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” Anonymous
“Coming out of your comfort zone is tough in the beginning, chaotic in the middle, and awesome in the end…because in the end, it shows you a whole new world.” Manoj Arora
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