All through the ages and all over the world, there is one language that most everybody understand.  It does not matter if it is a third world country or the richest country in the world.  It is timeless, and anybody can do it.  It is a language of dance, a pure expression of human existence and emotions:  love and romance; passion and seduction; anger and disappointment; fun and excitement; confusion and uncertainty, etc.  Dance is a story-telling through every motion of the body.  When we dance, we express ourselves what we feel deep inside.

So, what is your dancing style?  How do you feel when you let go, when you listen to every beat of the music?  When music takes you on the journey, what story do you tell?  What music do you like?

If you like slow and romantic, it is a deep expression of love.  Like in the waltz, your story is to go hand in hand, foot in foot, despite anything.  It is a projection of unbreakable bond and a deep romance.  It is a story of oneness.

In tango, on other hand, there is lots of passion and seduction.  The dance is full of emotions.   Both partners are passionate of who they are – it is a relationship of desires, separate as individuals, but becoming as one in understanding.  Heart-beat to heart-beat, eye to eye, smile – it sparkles a magic.  Opposites attract and balance each other out.

Other dance stories can be of fun and excitement, one of independence and freedom.  It is expression of joy, laughter and playfulness.  Any dance can become an expression of life.

Some of us, however, restrict ourselves from dancing.  We might think dancing is stupid or we do not want to make a fool of ourselves.  Then it is our story of being afraid of what others might think.  What else are we afraid of in life?  Do we often depend on others opinion?  If we can move, we can dance.  If toddlers can do it and even some birds can do it, we certainly can do it.  The next time we hear music, let ourselves go, let ourselves loose, be free and surprise ourselves, even if we have to start telling our story of confusion and uncertainty.  We can start copy other people in their movements, until we become in sync with them.  Then our story of uncertainty becomes a story of fun and unity with others.  When we become brave enough, we can start telling about our uniqueness with movements of our own.

The key to dancing is to become one with the music and express what we feel deep inside.  It’s just like listening to the music with every inch of our body.  Music and we become one.

In  1974 Sylvester Stallone was a broke, discouraged actor and screenwriter.  While attending a boxing match he became inspired by a “nobody” boxer who “went the distance” with the great Mohammed Ali.

He rushed home and in a three-day burst of creative output produced the first draft of the screenplay entitled Rocky.

Down to his last $106, Stallone submitted his screenplay to his agent.  A studio offered $20,000 with either Ryan O’Neal or Burt Reynolds playing the lead character.  Stallone was excited by the offer but wanted to play the lead himself.  He offered to act for free.  He was told, “That’s not the way it works in Hollywood.”  Stallone turned down the offer though he desperately needed the money.

Then they offered him $80,000 on the condition that he wouldn’t play the lead.  He turned them down again.

They told him that Robert Redford was interested, in which case they’d pay him $200,000.  He turned them down once more.

They upped their offer to $300,000 for his script.  He told them that he didn’t want to go through his whole life wondering “what if?”

They offered him $330,000.  He told them that he’d rather not see the movie made if he couldn’t play the lead.

They finally agreed to let him play the lead.  He was paid $20,000 for the script plus $340 per week minimum actor’s scale.  After expenses, agen fees, and taxes, he netted about $6,000 instead of $330,000.

In 1976 Stallone was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor.  The movie Rocky won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing.  The Rocky series has since grossed almost $1 billion, making Sylvester Stallone an international movie star!

Follow your gut. Stick to your guns. – from book “The One Minute Millionaire” by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen.

It’s raining cats and dogs outside all day.  Most people usually curl up on the coach and hope that rain will stop soon.  However, as rain renews all the nature, and brings out all the color, the artsy people can make the best of it.  The rain creates magic if you look a bit closer.  Here are some photos I took to enjoy: This photo is of changing traffic light reflections

Reflection of the house in a puddle

Rose in Mom’s garden

Now do not let rain stop you.  Go out and create magic.  Look at different angle, in different ways. See what can capture your imagination.

Remember how we loved to play in the rain as we were children.  What stops us to do that now?

]]> http://wonderocity.com/rainy-day-art/feed 2 http://wonderocity.com/when-things-dont-go-how-we-want-them-to-go http://wonderocity.com/when-things-dont-go-how-we-want-them-to-go#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:30:26 +0000 ineta http://wonderocity.com/?p=190

Oh, it is so frustrating when we want to achieve something and things just don’t go fast enough or right enough.  We get mad or depressed and sometimes even give up.

The key to these situations is to keep going and never give up:

1. Patience and persistence do pay off, if we only persist.  I know, people keep telling us that, but how long can we stay patient?  It’s a TEST.

2.  Think of this.  There is time for everything.  There might be a lesson to be learned on the way or people to meet.  Everything happens for a reason, at their own timing.

3.  If one way does not work, there has to be another way.  Be innovative, think outside the box, in multi-dimensional ways.  Be creative.  We can always find a solution if we persist.

We usually make excuses to sabotage ourselves.  We think we are too young or too old to do anything.  When we are the kids, we can’t wait to grow up, so we would be allowed to do something we wish.  We can’t wait for that freedom.

Yet, when we grow up we completely forget what we were after.  We get overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities, and at times we even forget who we really are.  We do everything to pay the bills, take care of partner, kids, parents.  We bury our dreams deep and we do not even have time to look at them.

Time flies so fast.  We get in older years, and now we regret of not taking chances.  We make now excuse that we are too old.  We wasted our time.  What we do not realize is that age does not really matter.  We can achieve anything we wish regardless.  All we have to do is to act on our dreams.  Dreaming alone does not do anything.  We got to back it up with actions.

Here are some inspiring videos from Britain’s Got Talent that shows that anything is possible, no matter how young or old you are:

Six year old angel that moved the world with her singing

80 year old singing sensation

Today sun took my breath away.  WOW!  That was amazing phenomenon!

For more information about it, you can read here: Sun Halo

Think about it…  How easily you’re influenced by others?  Do you have your own say?  Or you let others say things for you?  Do you stand your ground?  Or you think others know better?

Of course, some influence is great.  We become better people because of it; we learn something from our heroes or people we admire.  We become who we want to become.

There is also another type of influence that works quite opposite.  If we do not have our say in anything, do not stand for our own beliefs, others will influence us any way they want to.  They can shape us in any way and form if we allow them.  We become who we really not.

How to tell a difference?  How to resist unhealthy influence?  How to stay who we truly are despite constant influence from others?

Here are the answers:

1) Follow your instincts;

2) Do not do anything that feels not right for you;

3) Have your own opinion;

4) Stand your ground;

5) Do not let others change who you are or your work that you stand for.

You are unique, and nobody is like you.  Why change yourself or your work according other person’s expectations?  If it is no longer you, do not do it, do not let others to influence you.

Silence…  It seems so easy, yet for some of us it is almost unattainable.  We are used to so much noise.  When all of a sudden, power goes down, we realize how quiet actually feels, if only for one moment.  There is so much man-made noise:  refrigerator, faucet, washing machine, etc., etc.  It is in our mind’s background, humming or dripping, but we’re so used to it, we do not even hear it.  It is also usually overpowered by blaring TV or music.  Some of us even fall asleep by TV.  This way, we can block all the noise that is in our heads:  recaps of the day, worries, what ifs, arguments.  Even if we would shut off all the appliances, we still would hear the endless chatter of our minds.

What if we would shut all that noise down?  Would that be possible? How that would feel?

The best way to do this is to go out into nature:  could be a park, by the lake, pond, the beach – anywhere away from the busy city life.  Leave all technology at home or in the car.  Once there, enjoy the moment:

1) Take the shoes off (just watch out for fire ants, if you’re in the south ) and feel every blade of grass or grain of sand under your feet.

2) If worrying thought crosses your mind – observe it and let it go for now – this moment is yours – free.

3) Feel the sun or breeze on your skin or in your hair.

4) Breathe.

5) Close your eyes for a moment.  Then, open them and see every detail around you.

6) Try to pick up sense of smell – perhaps the blooming tree or flower nearby.

7) Listen – listen to the silence.  Listen all around you.

Feel the moment with all your senses.  Walk where your feelings tell you.  Walk and listen.

You just got re-connected with nature.  You got re-connected with essence of you.  Your head is all clear of junk and noise.  Silence… – Oh, so precious.

You feel totally refreshed and re-energized.  Your head is clear.  Once your mind is uncluttered, perhaps you can find a solution, an answer, get a brilliant idea.  Most importantly, you feel totally alive and ready for anything.

Silence is brilliant.  It is like an empty canvas ready to be filled with the brightest of colors.  In silence, we can find wisdom…

]]> http://wonderocity.com/silence/feed 0 http://wonderocity.com/how-much-youre-worth http://wonderocity.com/how-much-youre-worth#comments Fri, 14 May 2010 23:51:18 +0000 ineta http://wonderocity.com/?p=156

Take time to think this question…

We’re usually so wrapped up in everyday worries, responsibilities, bills, other people, we’re hardly have time to think about ourselves.  Days go so fast, even years fly by.  We usually put our dreams on the back burner, in the farthest corner, stuff them in the draw and forget about them.

“We’ll get to them when we’ll have time.” However, that time never comes…

Think again, “How much you’re worth?”  Are you worth your dreams?  Does your dream seem so far to you?  Do you feel overwhelmed, thinking how much you have to do to reach your dream?  What if, you are going to take one little step forward right now?  What that would take?  Step by step, one chance at the time.  As you usually schedule important tasks, schedule your dreams.  Skip watching TV if you have to.  You are worth everything what your heart wishes.  Do not put off your dreams any longer.

1) Identify them,

2) Take first step – even a small one,

3) Be persistent to take next steps.

You’ll be surprised how one little action will cause a ripple effect of other actions.

Most importantly, share your dreams with others.  Ignore the ones that criticize you.  Take ones in who support you.  You never know, somebody may knows somebody who knows somebody who may help you to achieve your dreams.

Take a first step now…

We all know someone who has all the luck in the world.  It seems that they are born under lucky star.  Anything they wish, they achieve.  How do they do that?  Is it possible to turn our luck around? What we do not realize is that we all make up our luck, either good or bad.  So, how can we become lucky? I believe, the answer is this:

Three keys to good luck are:

1) intention

2) attitude

3) gratitude

First, we need to know what we really want, intend and focus on  it no matter what.  What we concentrate on, that’s what we attract.  If we intend to achieve something and are open-minded and persistent, we’ll always see the new opportunities coming.  Most importantly, we got to act upon those opportunities and not let doubt to set in.  On other hand, if we do not know what we want, the opportunity might be under our nose, but we are not going to see it.

Next, attitude is everything.  If we concentrate on negative, all we are going to see is negative.  If we concentrate on positive, we’ll see only positive things.

Third, gratitude is the most important.  We can be grateful for things we often take for granted:  our health, family, friends, each day we live that present us with new beginnings and opportunities.  If we think what we’re grateful for each day, our attitude will instantly change from negative to positive.  It will bring a positive intention for the next day.  Thinking how grateful we are will make us think how really lucky we are to have things we never thought of.  We are lucky to be alive, growing and learning.

]]> http://wonderocity.com/how-to-have-a-better-luck/feed 5