15 Valuable Life Lessons I Learned From ‘Dancing With The Stars’
15 Valuable Lessons for Personal and Business Success
I admire the athleticism and beauty of two people dancing in perfect synchronicity to the rhythms of a beautiful tango, cha cha, or waltz. Some of the most beautiful interpretations of dance can be seen on the popular TV show, “Dancing With the Stars.” I look forward to watching it every week with 20 million other viewers. Something about this show really captivates people! Perhaps it’s the gorgeous people in the beautiful sexy outfits!
Sometimes they will show clips of behind the scenes when the stars are practicing their dance for next week’s show. The stars will miss a lift and get dropped to the floor, they will cry, get frustrated and angry when they can’t seem to learn the steps. They will get injured and it will appear that they will not be able to make it for the next show. To my surprise, they show up and dance like they have been dancing all their lives. Amazing!
I was watching the show intently one night and I realized that there were life lessons that could be learned from this very popular TV program.
These are lessons that can apply to both the personal and business arenas.
1- Maintain Your Frame- Keep your head and shoulders up. Not only does it make the dance more beautiful, but in real life, this conveys confidence. Leaders in business exude confidence. You can see it in their body language.
2- There Will Be Discouragement- You will have ups and downs in life. At times you may get totally frustrated and you may feel that you are never going to learn the new system or routine. There is too much! You may be overwhelmed with information overload! But, do as the pros do on the show. They break down the routine one small step at a time and the amateur gets through it.
3- The Show Must Go On- I remember during a performance by Kirstie Alley, her shoe fell off midway into her routine. She simply sat on the dance floor, fixed her shoe, and kept on dancing. There will be set-backs and embarrassing moments in life and in business. You must go on!
4- No Excuses- Amy Purdy has no feet. Noah Galloway was missing an arm and a leg. How do they even dare to attempt to dance! Yet, they were able to achieve high scores in their performances. What’s your excuse for not achieving personal or business success?
5- Dance With A Partner- It helps to have a partner. For business success, get a mentor and copy what they do. If you want to lose weight, do it with a partner. If you exercise, do it with a partner and you will be more likely to continue the schedule until you reach your goal. It’s also more fun.
6- Dance With Enthusiasm- People who are successful in whatever they do, do it with enthusiasm and with passion. They tend to love what they do and it shows. Enthusiasm is very contagious.
7- Show Your Personality- Alfonso Ribero won the golden mirror ball not just with his outstanding dancing, but also with his great personality. Be yourself and don’t try to be someone that you are not. Let your personality come out. It’s what brands you. There is no one else like you. You are special!
8- Always Smile- No matter what life throws at you, keep smiling. You will survive! Research has also shown that when you smile, endorphins are released into your brain that cause you to be happy. If you are happy, it’s very likely that you will also be a happy parent. Happy parents have happy kids. Happy families create happy employees.
9- You Don’t Have to Have a Pretty Face to be a Winner- J.R. Martinez had most of his face and body burned after he was hit by an explosive device when he was on a tour of duty. His face was severely disfigured. Yet, he still managed to win the trophy. It wasn’t due to his pretty face. It was a result of all the factors described in this article. The beautiful people don’t always win. You can achieve success despite your challenges.
10- Dress for Success- Ahh,the beautiful, sexy clothes that the stars wear on the show! Some business environments have gotten very casual these days. However, the appropriate attire never ceases to make a lasting impression. Dress well and you will be noticed.
11- The Ones Who Score the Highest Are Not Always the Winners- There have been several occasions on “Dancing With the Stars” where the contestant gets some very high scores for their performance, and may even be among the top of the leader board, just to be sent home at the end of the show. We often believe that those who score highest on IQ tests, or SAT tests are predetermined to be the winners. However, this is not the case. In real life, it is often the ‘A’ students who work for the ‘C’ students.
12- Nothing Worth Doing Is Easy- Some of the stars get angry, frustrated, and even hurt. Suzanne Sommers got so frustrated that she wanted to quit. Fortunately, she didn’t quit. She learned her dance, then went on to perform it well. You must persevere. Sometimes there is a wall of pain that you must break through. When you finally get to the other side, things get easier. Don’t quit!
13- Dare To Do Things That Are Out of Your Comfort Zone- Most of the stars have never had any dancing experience. Yet, they dare to dance in front of millions of people each week. Are they nervous or scared! Of course! We as humans are meant to stretch like a rubber band. There may be a little discomfort in the beginning, but once we stretch, we never go back to being the same person we were. Just as the stars will attest, it often turns out to be a life-changing experience.
14- Get A Mentor- In order for you to learn a new skill quickly, you must have a mentor. This is someone who can give you feedback as to what you are doing well and what your are doing wrong. This is usually an expert like Derek Hough or Carrie Ann Inaba, who know what a perfect performance looks like and can help you to achieve that through “smart practice.” By the way, according to some recent research, it takes only about 50 hours of “smart practice” to become proficient at a skill. So, don’t hesitate to learn new skills.
15- Have Fun- The “Dancing With the Stars” judges often comment. “You’re not going to get the highest scores for your performance, but we could tell that you were having fun!” You need to schedule for yourself some FUN time. First of all, life is too short. Also life is a journey. . . enjoy the ride!
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To your success,
David C Figueroa- Success Coach
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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About the Author David C Figueroa
David C Figueroa is a psychologist with over 35 years of experience teaching personal development. An awesome success coach, and internet marketer. Now retired, he has refocused his goals into helping ambitious men and women to create exceptional lives.
