How can we become in tune with ourselves and focus our attention on what matters most?
“Abby, point your toes, tuck your pelvis, and drop your hip.” Growing up as a dancer, I would often hear these comments from my teachers as I spent countless afternoons in the dance studio. Over time, these small and subtle corrections helped me to find the correct body placement and ultimately become the best dancer I could be.
Photo by Hudson Hintze
To reach their full creative potential, dancers must become completely in tune with their body. Only then can dancers refine their movements and successfully perform each step of a dance routine.
In her BYU speech “The Path to Transformative Change,” Professor Pam Musil, associate department chair of BYU’s dance program, shared how her experiences as a dancer relate to spiritual growth. She emphasizes that, for dancers, “subtle changes in posture, patterns of practice, and movement behavior can literally reshape the body’s architecture over time, either for better or for worse.” Professor Musil then shares that making small spiritual changes, like turning her focus to Christ each day, has reshaped her personal life. She adds, “Transformative change can occur suddenly in one singular event, but more often it is a process that takes place gradually through applied, focused, daily practice.”
The world today is full of distractions. It can be overwhelming to know where we should focus, but the small and simple things that we choose to prioritize daily will ultimately shape our future. Just as dancers continually implement subtle changes to improve their performance, we can make small spiritual shifts each day to help us live successful lives and become the best versions of ourselves.
Read Pam Musil’s full BYU speech “The Path to Transformative Change” to discover more ideas about focusing on what matters most.
Source: BYU Speeches
—Abby Andrus, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY GAVRILOV
Find more insights
To learn how to shift your focus to the important things in life, read “Being in Tune: Minimizing Interference Beats” by Rebecca Schroder.
For more inspiration about maximizing your potential and making your mark on the world, read “Be Excellent: Becoming Who You Are in Today’s World” by David W. Hart.
I grew up playing the cello, and this idea rings true to me. I love this idea that incremental changes are important in life, too. I often get caught up on only making huge monumental changes in my life. Thank you, Abby!