Dance Party!

So, I just finished this week’s Mindful Mini and as I prepared to set up the scheduled delivery for tomorrow morning, I just couldn’t bring myself to click ‘submit’. It is a POWERFUL and BOLD mini… a call to action as we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month… but dang, it felt heavy! It’s meaningful and relevant and really important… but it just feels like I’m standing here watching you struggle to carry the incredible weight of life and then asking you to hold one more thing. It just didn’t feel right!

So, I’m going to pivot. I’ll post my original mini as a blog post only so it’s available for those ready for a bold call to action. BUT… I think there is something much more valuable to share with you now… 

I think what you really need is a dance party! 

YUP, that’s right, you need a… DANCE PARTY!

A good ‘no holds barred’ dance party can really change your day… if not your life. Here’s how I know… For the past year, while taking my 15 year old daughter to school each morning, she has created a morning playlist as a backdrop to our drive. It’s about a 15 minute commute, so we get in a good 4-5 songs… unless she’s doing a mash-up and then things can get wild. We didn’t plan this, it just sort of happened. Each morning, I could tell how she was doing based on the first song that played. Sometimes it was gentle and easy… a slow start to the day and other times we jumped right in with an epic hype song. I know when she was struggling or when she was fired up and excited. One thing you should know about Addison is that she has very eclectic musical taste and often pulls out just the right song for our morning vibe. It includes every decade and genre…I never know what to expect, but holy cow does she nail it when it comes to setting the soundtrack of our day.

And so, our morning rides have become this conversation through song. We lean into all the feels… allowing the music to give room for the mood. Sometimes we talk, and sometimes we just need the quiet connection of being together without conversation. It’s become ‘our thing’ and it is with deep sadness that I realized these morning drives will end soon when she becomes a licensed driver at the end of June. I can see our epic morning dance parties about to wrap up… and it has been a beautiful reminder of how powerful they can be!

So, that’s your Mindful Mini invitation this week… pick a playlist that hits just the right vibe, turn up the volume and DANCE! Move your body in just the way it wants, no worry or judgment. The car is a GREAT place for this silliness! Wiggle in your seat, sing along at the top of your lungs and let it all go! Maybe it’s a sad ballad or an angry breakup song… or a brave champions theme song. Connect with the music and allow the connection to yourself… and share it! Make it part of your day…no matter if it’s in the kitchen making dinner, on the commute to soccer practice, in your classroom or the office with your coworkers. There are research based benefits… but what really matters is it’s FUN! Instead of asking you to carry more weight, I’m going to invite you to set it down for a moment, let go and DANCE! You deserve it and you are sooo worth it!

And… if you’re inspired toward a bit more weighty invitation as well, you can catch the first draft of my mini here:

Wishing you a joyful and silly week!

Yours in heart,

Kelly Driscoll