Life Class in Dance Class: Help each other help each other

Being in a group environment can be difficult. You deal with several personalities and emotions, and you are often in a vulnerable situation. Since I am rather sensitive to others' feelings, I believe it is essential to help foster that environment in classes. If a child laughs when someone messes up a dance step, we need to make sure to ask them "how do you think that made them feel?" to help them understand how hurtful their reaction can be and that they shouldn't act in that way again. We also perform for each other in small groups in class, and I watch the audience more than the performers at times to make sure they are being a good audience by paying attention and applauding. A support system is needed everywhere in our lives, and it is especially needed in our dance classes because it ensures the best environment for the students to do and become their best.

A student once accidentally stepped on another student's foot, causing them to trip. This 4 year old girl started crying, but when the other student responded with an "I'm sorry", the little girl stopped crying and said "It is okay." I realized not only is it important for us to say Sorry but it is equally as important for the other person to let the one at fault know that it is okay. This 4 year old girl had accepted a life lesson that all of us should learn and remember in our day to day lives.

Life Class in Dance Class: How Do You Face Challenges?

Life throws challenges at us every single day, some more difficult than others. Sometimes we decide to pick and choose which battles we want to fight. But it is important to realize that sometimes, the way we face even the smallest challenges reflects the way you will face the greatest challenges. Just like building muscles, confidence and habits take time to build as well!

In class, I challenge my students with pushups and splits, which is difficult even for the most physically fit. I had one student who constantly gave up after one or two pushups when tasked with doing three sets of 10; she would choose to laugh and smile after giving up every time. Of course I understand that children need time to build their muscles to do all 10 pushups, let alone three sets of them! But this was about four months into our course, and I knew this student had it in herself to do more than two.

So I finally stopped the class to address the issue. I told her - "If you give up so easily on doing 10 pushups, it is going to reflect on how you handle challenges outside of this studio. You are enabling a habit that will follow you for the rest of your life. Start creating the muscles of your mind and do not give up so easily."

The student nodded and we continued. The student completed ALL TEN PUSHUPS. I was so proud and thrilled and saw the same expression on her face. She learned the value of putting in the effort, even if it means you'll fail before reaching the goal. But she learned that if she sets her standards high, she can be the person she wanted to be - whether it is by herself, in front of a classroom or at a dance studio!

This student taught me the importance of being a teacher, even though I am teaching the art of dance, I have 1 hour in each class to find opportunities to help my dear students build skills that they can hopefully use for the rest of their lives. We have to keep paying it forward!

Life Class in Dance Class: The Power of a Smile

What's in a smile? I teach students from all kinds of backgrounds and have noticed a beautiful commonality in every child, family, area, and school - the universal language and power of a smile. 

Children may have a bad day at home, I may have a rough day, or we might be tired from other things weighing us down, but during the short time that I am with my students, I make sure that SMILING is #1 on my list, both on my face and the faces of my students. When my children share their happiness with me, I forget all my troubles and focus on the moment,  and I reach out to give them the same every day. Because we all need a break sometimes, and often when I take a step away from my troubles (even if it's only for the length of a dance class), I find that my troubles are easier to deal with!

I had a mother share a story with me about her child and how she wrote a paper in school saying that she loves and appreciates her mother so much. What stood out to me in what this little girl wrote is that she mentioned how her mom smiles all the time and that makes her happy. Who would have thought such a little thing would be appreciated so much that she would write about it? The power of a smile can be underestimated and it affects our children more than we realize. Make sure to smile a little extra today and see what happens!

Life Class in Dance Class: The Best Version of Your Child

Do not tell your children to become the best there ever was. Do not tell your children to aim for gold.

Tell them to become the best version of themselves. Tell them to challenge themselves, using only themselves as a measure of success.

I have noticed that often parents will instill a competitive nature in children. This is not a misguided goal, because setting children up with skills and habits that will bring them success in life is the best gift a parent can give. However, this often mistakenly takes the form of negative reinforcement in disguise. For one child to win, the majority must lose, and while that may seem like a great incentive to work harder, it creates a history of failure. You might be setting up your child for a cycle of hard work fueled by regret, anxiety or anger from losing.

Instead, set them up for success! By aiming to become the best version of themselves, they focus on their own improvement and celebrate success using only themselves as a measure. They embrace their unique skills and individuality instead of imitating others, which leads to better self-esteem. As an instructor, I always try to emphasize hard work, humility, and patience so my students can become the best version of themselves, without comparison to others. Positive reinforcement, all the way!

November Life Class in Dance Class

This month, I will be writing a series of blogs called 'Life Lessons in the Dance Studio' from the perspective of the students I teach. We reveal who we are the most when we are challenged, and I am blessed to be able to observe children in my classes and take some life lessons for myself from them as well.

Many times I see that children are more focused on where they are standing in the formation than their own technique. Often they worry about whether they're in the front or in the center. When dancing across the floor and learning a new technique, they pay more attention to the rest of the students' reactions to what they are doing than actually just focusing on themselves and refining their movements. Why? Why is our focus so skewed from such a young age?

These are habits and beliefs formed in the subconscious mind that can show up EVERYWHERE. And since I believe that what you focus on is what you will get - I aim to change my students' focus. I aim to clear out the distractions and help them love themselves and gain confidence instead of letting their emotions be dependent on whether they are in the center-front or if the other student approves of how they are dancing. As family, friends, mentors, and peers, we can help children understand that they are doing a wonderful job regardless of where they measure up in a group, and that it doesn't matter if they are center-front or not. If they just focus on being the best dancer they can be, people will watch them even if they are all the way in the back. 

Hard work matters and it will get recognized. But we must first start with their soul and make sure they love themselves enough to clear out all the gunk and just focus on their own beauty!

Please join me every Monday this month for more Life Lessons!

Everyday Rituals: Sharing Success

My last blog for October and my series on Everyday Rituals. I hope it's helped you think about your own rituals and maybe make new ones!

Sharing Success

I have seen a lot of success and met many individuals who are notebook successful. I have realized that the most successful people are those who truly trust the people around them. I strongly believe that success should be shared.

I remember at first feeling quite fearful to start pursuing my dream of creating a dance company. I knew that Los Angeles, maybe more than any other city in the United States, is full of dancers, dance studios, and people trying to make it. However, after I took the first step, I quickly realized there is more than enough demand to go around for everyone! There are so few of us actually trying to go after our dreams just due to fear that we allow a huge monopoly by the few who dared to take the plunge. If all of us who took the plunge to follow our passion did so with a spirit of camaraderie, I strongly believe that the world would be such a better place.

Sharing with my wonderful students!

Sharing success creates more opportunities and more success. But by closing the door behind us after us, we are stripping our community from the potential to grow. If we have seen success at any level whether through spirituality, relationship, motherhood, career, or anything else, it is our responsibility to leave the door open behind us and let others in so they may open more doors, By paying it forward, we can create an infinite formula to success! Can you imagine that? A world full of people following their passion, being successful, and creating more and more opportunities for success such as the first telephone, the Internet, cell phones, televisions, a Black President!!! We are creating the future of the world every day, so why not make it with a world full of happy, successful people by learning to fearlessly share our success?

How do you share your success?

Everyday Rituals: Finding Love in Every Situation

This one is one of my favorite Everyday Rituals!

Finding Love in Every Situation

This may sound a little corny but it has personally helped me through many situations. Once I realized the power of positive energy, I committed myself to transforming my characteristics to embody positivity by turning away from negativity. I had to fight emotions of anger, jealousy, victimization, intolerance, pity, hatred, bitterness, etc. But then I realized that we are ALL one! The homeless person crossing the street, the friend that only complains, the coworker that shows off all her new Louis Vuitton purses, the uncle who never agrees with you – they are ALL A PART OF ME! I could have just as easily been born into that person's life and body. They could be suffering from circumstances that I was blessed to never experience.

Love everywhere!

This simple truth reminds me to see the best in every person and to see the best in every situation. Sometimes we feel that no, that person is wrong and I am not backing out from this argument – but guess what, that is your ego and pride talking. Once we let that stubbornness go and try to embrace LOVE in that situation, we will automatically try to understand and accept. Even if we disagree, we accept and understand. This has a stronger effect on you than it does on the other person, because it relieves you of your ego and any negative emotions that come along with it. Finding love does not mean always agreeing, and it does not mean you have to spend time with that person every day. But what it does is help you refine feelings of humility, tolerance, acceptance, and understanding. 

Everyday Rituals: Daily Thank Yous and Knowing that Everything will be Fine!

Aside from the Everyday Rituals I learned from The Four Agreements, here are some other rituals inspired by my experiences, people, books, movies, and life in general!

 

Daily Thank Yous!

Every day I go out to my  balcony and look at the nature around me. I appreciate the trees, the colors of the sky, the sun on my skin. And I literally say Thank You for everything I have – the delicious coffee I am drinking, the food I am able to enjoy, the dream that I get closer to each day, the family and friends I am blessed with, the people that made me smile yesterday – nothing is too little or big.

 

Thanking traffic for allowing me to experience this wonderful view!

I used to pray for things, asking for more instead of merely appreciating what I had. Now, I simply say Thank You not only for what I was blessed with yesterday and today, but also for what I will be blessed with tomorrow. I have created such a habit of being grateful that I do it as a reaction! For instance, I recently got distracted while driving and saw the car in front of me just in time to brake and avoid an accident. The first thought that came to me was THANK YOU! If I have a really long day and feel exhausted, and one of my private sessions calls to cancel, I automatically say 'Thank You' to the universe. When I come home to my beautiful little cat, I thank her for the love and peace she brings to my life. Saying thank you can be the reason you smile more every day! This kind of positive energy is free and it surrounds us. This will automatically help you to focus on the good!

 

Know That Everything Will Be Fine

When you stop worrying, you will be amazed at how everything works out! It always does! And when I mean stop worrying, I don't mean pretend to not worry by not talking about it, yet constantly worrying about it in your thoughts. Really BELIEVE that everything will be just fine, have faith in it! Clearly this will not work if you are just sitting on your couch all day, every day, not worrying about your bills. But if you are taking action towards your goals every day, then let go of your worries!

 

 I cannot tell you how many times in the past two years, I started to worry about not making enough for rent next month. But right away, I tell myself 'Don't worry Amna, you will be fine! Everything will work out!' That helps me clear my mind so I can create goals to help me make money this month, such as teaching at gyms, contacting more schools, etc. And the next month arrives and I am able to comfortably pay for all my bills! Wow!

Clearing my mind thanks to nature's gifts!

 

I have created goals without even knowing how I would achieve them. Yet, I knew it would happen if I just put effort towards that goal everyday. I challenged my comfort zone just by the power of knowing it can be done. When you know the finish line and have disciplined yourself to take action everyday, you achieve the goal! And once you achieve it, what's next? Saying thank you.  Thank You is my next reflexive response. Gratitude and Faith is further ingrained into my belief system, and it has allowed me to avoid being paralyzed by worry.

What do you say Thank You for?

Four of my Everyday Rituals, Inspired by the Four Agreements

Inspiration comes from everywhere and differs from person to person. I really love love love to read and some books I have read influence my everyday life. I mentioned The Four Agreements last week, so I wanted to share some rituals I have created from my belief system:

• Be Impeccable with Your Words: Words are powerful. If you don't have something good to say, don't say it! It will harm you more than it may harm the person who receives those words. With negative words come rejection and fear. Instead, take responsibility for what you put out into the world.


• Always Do Your Best: This does not mean don't take a break ;) This just means that if you really want something, put all you have into it without fear or hesitation. There are many times that I do something and realize that I could have or should have done something differently. Sometimes that breeds shame or regret because I know I could have done better, and that resentment follows me no matter what I try to do next. However, I remind myself now that I did my best at that time and every lesson I learn keeps changing my best to a higher level. The importance is in applying the lessons learned today, instead of imprisoning our willpower with regret and self-abuse.


• Never Assume: I still have to work on this because we are so programmed to make assumptions! Often times we 'feel' someone may not like us or that someone did something just to offend or backstab us! These assumptions have us as the main center of attention when the real reasons are much bigger than us! Entertain the thought that whatever someone did is usually a reaction to themselves or their beliefs. This is so relieving to realize! Practice this one every day. It will help you keep your soul and thoughts free and positive.


• Don't Take Things Personally: I have to check myself often and remind myself that situations are not always aimed at me! When people say things or act in a certain way, it is a reflection of themselves. And it has nothing to do with you! When people hurt us with their words or actions, they are lashing out to protect their belief system and their world. Most of our negativity stems from actions of others' -  our bosses, coworkers, family members, friends, and even strangers. We need to stop being reactive creatures. Instead, be proactive and in control of our reactions, thoughts, and beliefs. Instead of suppressing negative reactions, we can train ourselves not to even have these reactions by understanding this huge truth!

Do you share or struggle with any of these beliefs?

Life Changing Moments Conclusion: Knowing what you believe in

I would like to take a step back to point out an important part of what makes me happy and who I am today. The point of tearing myself apart was to figure this out - who is Amna and what does she believe in?

 I feel it is necessary to have a built-in GPS system before you can make decisions in the real world. If you don't know your North from your South, then you are headed in a very scary direction where 40 years from now, you will be asking yourself - HOW DID I GET HERE? If you don't have your core philosophies rooted within you, you may not be making wise decisions.

Being fearless without wisdom is dangerous and that is a risk I can never recommend for anyone. Do some reflection. Find your inspirations. Find out what you believe in. And practice those beliefs in EVERYTHING YOU DO! EVERYTHING! Whether it is in how you cook, drive, talk to a stranger, or most importantly, THINK! You have to be what you believe in even when no one can hear you or see you!

Once you have created a lifestyle to master that way of life - you become very intimate with your beliefs. It is a never-ending journey... I aim to be better at this state of being every single moment. It is a fight to create those positive habits but eventually these habits will become so natural that you won't even have to think about it. I promise!

I have too many beliefs and too many sources of them to list them all. But if I could just point out a few names of people and sources to get you started on your journey, it would be: Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and The Prophets of the major religions – learn about them as people and start practicing the characteristics you admire in them. Aim to be like the ones you idolize – they are people just like you and me. Do not put them in such a high pedestal that you cannot even fathom to be in the same place. Set your bar high and challenge yourself to be THE BEST every single day. As for books: The Four Agreements, Tuesdays with Morrie and The Last Lecture.

If you only have time to read one book, I would strongly recommend The Four Agreements. It is a quick read and inspires four life changing concepts that could really help you see your life in a completely different way. I never realized the power of perspective until I read that book!

So now you know my journey. Tell me about yours.

I truly believe that the greatest thing that is yours is what you GIVE!

• Here is a picture of me where I volunteered at a Women's Empowerment Boys & Girls Club event to teach Bollywood dancing and share my story:

• I am part of School on Wheels program where we tutor homeless children once a week. It is a great program. Donate one hour each week of you time to give back and appreciate your blessings!
• AMNA Dance is supporting a great domestic violence volunteer event next week called SAHARA, where Amna and her students will be performing.
• Here are some pictures of my family and I singing carols and sharing some laughs at Senior Homes during the winter holidays, a ritual we do every year now:

Life Changing Moment #3:Becoming Fearless

It took burning out to realize that I was living a fearful life.

I was living a picture perfect life programmed by society: Go to school, listen to your parents, seek approval, meet expectations, get A's, receive recognition,  go to college, graduate, get a job, support yourself, get married, have kids... you know the spiel. I don't mean to dismiss any of the above. I just didn't like the fact that I didn't question this programmed behavior and in so never found myself and my own compass. I faked myself into a false sense of fulfillment.

However, due to my wonderful family, friends, and teachers, I acquired an AWESOME skill - critical thinking. I challenged ideas, I thought about everything - always. But I never had the guts to do anything about it until this 'Making point' in my life. I would have loved to major in dance, yet never did it because it was not looked highly upon and I felt I had something to prove because people saw me as an “intelligent” person. I graduated with an Engineering degree, while dancing in as many college teams and clubs as I could. I had great work offers – engineering related - straight out of college and so, off I went into a high achieving career.

I remember bringing up the idea to my parents about taking a break to pursue dance. I could sense their hesitation and fear. My dad frankly asked me why would I risk it when I had a great job and salary. I followed his advice for about three years. But soon enough I realized how determined I was, so I did it.

Below is a picture of me in my element with the 

NDM troupe at a Vitamin Water commercial shoot! 

The truth is - I was lucky. I was blessed to be at a point where I had saved some money. I learned the power of visualizing your goals, so that I had the strength to stop making decisions solely by fear. I was not fulfilled at my job, I knew the amount of money I needed to live, I knew that any materialistic thing will never make me as happy as having the TIME to do what I want and spend time with the people I love. I knew what I believed in, I had identified my priorities, my sources of happiness and unhappiness. Most importantly, I understood the power of action!

So off I went to an adventure in which for the first time, I chose uncertainty, insecurity and passion - I quit my job and went after my dream to dance! But I was not alone, I had the strongest tools of all – Wisdom and Faith! And I realized that it was not luck, but destiny that I had created by taking charge of my own life. Everything in my life had prepared me for this exact moment. 

Steve Jobs summarized the power of destiny, wisdom and faith best: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” 

So yes - it was about choosing to be fearless. However, there was so much more to this decision than just being fearless. Because you can't be rash and stubborn without knowing what you believe in. Next time... Knowing what you believe in.

What has living a fearful life led you to do?

Life Changing Moment #2: Taking a break

Life Changing Moment #2: Taking a break

After 3 years of working with my College Degree as an IT Consultant, I reached a breaking point. Looking back now, I would call this time in my life a 'MAKING point', for it has made me who I always wanted to be. But it certainly didn't feel like that back then.

Work was burning me out at an exponential rate. Although I loved my job and the people I worked with, I didn't feel fulfilled. I was also dealing with personal problems with myself and my family. All this pushed me to take a Leave of Absence from my job. It seemed like an impulsive decision, but I do have a rule that I should only act if I still feel the same way after 2 weeks. And so, I did! 

I took my 3 month leave and left for the only place I wanted to be at that moment - Home in Chicago! I reflected, talked to friends and family, wrote, cried, read, traveled, and finally came to the conclusion that I have been living my life by making decisions based on fear. I had an awesome career, I was well on my way to promotion and on the leadership track of the company, I was completely financially secure, I was in shape, I had just finished paying off my own car - basically, I was set!. Yet... I was unhappy! Why? Because I made so many decisions just based on fear!

Next time... my Life Changing Moment #3: Becoming Fearless.

Are you acting upon fears or desires? Share your story or just share a moment? :)

Life Changing Moment #1: The Secret

One year out of college and just starting our careers, my good friend, Eve Torres, and I watched The Secret together. It was a movie from 2006 that highlighted a concept called 'the Law of Attraction'. It is a belief that there are steps that one can take to "attract" everything that one could want and need. The three steps were: believing in an outcome, thinking repeatedly about the outcome, and remaining positive about the outcome.

We were inspired by the idea of visualizing your goals and dreams into reality. At that point in our lives, we had lofty goals and a wide open future ahead of us, but actually identifying our goals was something we had not done up until then. We also loved the idea of a conscious or subconscious reminder of these goals EVERY SINGLE MOMENT, that could act as a guide in our daily pursuit of these goals.

Eve created a vision board and posted it over her bed so that she would see it every day. My goal list consisted of bullet points (that is how I like to work hahahah) and I posted the list right next to my desk - which at that point in my life as an IT consultant - was where I was almost 99% of the time!

The remarkable outcome of that little project we took on was that at the end of the year, we both had achieved most, if not all, of the goals! I was so proud and so amazed that I have created that list ever since and now take pictures of my list yearly as proof that it works!

Maybe someday I will share my list. But right now, it is very personal to me.

It was amazing to see how easy it can be to achieve your goals or better yet - your DREAMS! It took a lot of hard work, but identifying them was the first step, reminding yourself of them the next, and taking action every day in one way or another is the final step. The intangible power of the subconscious is also so overwhelming and totally incomparable. Try it out if you haven't already! IT WORKS!

What are your goals? How do you make sure that you are pursuing them?

How To Find Happiness - Life Changing Moments by Amna Mazin

This month, I am writing a series of blogs about my path to follow my dreams and what inspires & motivates me daily. Please join me every Monday and tell me about the secret to your daily motivation in the comments!

How To Find Happiness - by Amna Mazin

I had a few good friends recently ask me about where happiness comes from and how I stay positive. It made me think about how I came to be where I am now, running my own business and doing what I truly love. So I wanted to share what came to my head and hope this helps plant some seeds or reinforce some positive habits!

I remember almost four years ago, at my first job out of college, I had my first annual review with my manager. He asked me what my immediate goals were with the company and my future goals in the long-term. When it came to my future goals, I remember saying 'I just want to be happy!' My manager looked confused and took my answer as if to be excused by inexperience and naiveté. However, looking back, I feel I knew exactly what I wanted and am glad I stuck to that goal. Here I am, four years later, and SO MUCH closer to that long term goal than I was at that point in my life.

Here is a picture of me with my coworkers during our work trip to Hyderabad, India.

When I look back, I have these moments that stand out in my mind. These moments changed the course of my life forever. Here are the life changing moments that helped me realize WHAT I BELIEVE IN and WHO I WANT TO BE:

1. Watching The Secret
2. Taking a break
3. Becoming Fearless

More next time!

Spreading Positive Energy

When I left my steady career as a consultant in order to pursue dance, it was one of the scariest moments of my life. Dance is my lifelong passion and source of happiness, but I worried about if that was enough when money would start to run thin. Little did I know that my mission to provide low-cost dance services would more than enough!

Within just two years, AMNA Dance has grown to over 100 students across all of southern California. I even found myself with more classes than I could teach and more work than I could handle - and even better, that I had the means to support four paid employees! This quick growth astounds me and I am so grateful to be able to spread the love of dance across this corner of the world.

When you move from a one-woman operation to one that hires others, it takes EVERYTHING to make sure your employees are in-line with your core philosophies. Because they represent your brand. So if I had to choose one criteria for each of my employees, it is POSITIVE ENERGY! We want all of our clients to feel stress-free and worry-free when they interact with any of the staff from AMNA Dance. 

Because of this, I am so proud to say that every single person with AMNA Dance represents me and what I stand for and believe in – that people come first and foremost. That is why inspiring happiness and growth in students is our mission! We are dedicated to your happiness by offering services that earn your trust and show appreciation of your commitment. Each and every one of us is passionate, entrepreneurial, and most importantly great role models for the many lives we are blessed to work with and teach. Our dance instructors are experts at the forms of dances they teach and act with integrity and genuine interest in their students' growth. This type of positive energy is infectious - so that every student we touch will go forth and spread that energy into the world, just as our teachers once inspired us.

The force behind my passion

My vision for AMNA Dance is founded on the belief that "becoming an 'All Around Dancer' should not be a luxury, but an option for EVERYONE!"  But what does that really mean?
 
Dance is not just moving one's body to music - it is an experience that transforms body, mind, and soul. I can't tell you how many days I've gone to class stressed out from my day, only for it all to melt away once the music starts. Learning to express myself thanks to dance began to show up in my everyday life - at school and at work and with friends and family. I felt more confident and happy, knowing that I had an outlet where my troubles could disappear.  My teachers along the way gave me that wonderful gift and I am dedicating my life to passing that gift onto others.

It sounds easy enough, but the truth is dance classes are EXPENSIVE. I often hear stories of parents having to work additional hours or second jobs to give their children the gift of dance. That kind of dedication warms my heart, but I also hear too many stories of parents who cannot afford dance classes for their kids who so want to dance. That breaks my heart.

Dance has become a luxury, available only for those who can afford it. While I understand why - dance studios are expensive to keep up as well - I believe strongly that everyone should have the option to dance. Everyone should have an outlet that makes their heart sing. Something that strengthens both their bodies and their resolve to succeed every day. That is why I fight to keep the rates for my classes  affordable and located in as many places as I can.  Maybe it means I have to work harder, teach more hours to make up operating costs, but the smiles on my students' faces when they step into my class make everything worth it. I also commit myself to offering free lessons to underprivileged families and homes as well as special discounted rates to low-income households. We say Yes when many other studios may say No.

So yes, dance is a luxury. But it is one that everyone should be able to afford!

Inspiration from Jay Leno

Recently, I had the opportunity to film with NDM Bollywood Troupe for Jay Leno's web series 'Jay Leno's Garage'. To appear in what was a passion project for Jay was a humbling experience, as well as being able to meet the man behind "The Tonight Show" himself! For a man as accomplished as he is, I didn't know what to expect. It turns out that his down-to-earth character and generosity impressed me far more than his fame, garage, or money.

When I arrived on set, he answered his own intercom at the garage gate and personally came out to signal where to park as I drove in. He took the time to shake hands with and personally introduce himself to all of the dancers, even though there wasn't a single person in the room who didn't recognize him. He was also kind and extremely attentive to all the crew members who came in for the shoot. During the lunch that he hosted for the cast and crew, he sat with us and chatted with genuine interest in our lives. In my years of performing for high profile events, never once did any celebrity leave enough of an impression on me to write about, but Jay Leno certainly changed that for me today. Thank you Jay for inspiring me and countless others who have the fortune to work with you!

Self Defense at the most basic level

I recently came across the amazing WWE Diva, Eve Torres' Ask EVE video. Eve is a strong promoter of women's self defense and is the owner of the Women's Empowered program. So, one of the questions Eve was asked was if she has ever had to practice her self defense teachniques in real life instances. Her response related some experiences, but something that really caught my attention was when she said that she also practices self defense every day by walking with confidence and being aware of her surroundings! Now, that really hit home because it seemed like the most fundamental and basic thing to do, YET, many of us do NOT do this, especially women! We walk in public every day, multiple times a day, and here is a self defense technique at the most basic level that could be practiced by each and every one of us. I, myself, made a mental note of this immediately as this was my opportunity for self-improvement. I actually have a poor habit of being completely in my thoughts while walking around and, thus, not being aware of my surroundings. I, also, have caught myself walking with my head to the ground at times. Not good! So, Thank You Eve for the inspiration and reminder of what I can do to ensure my safety in the simplest way: Walk with confidence and be aware of your surroundings!

Time

Cheers to my first blog. As it is the beginning of the month, I would like to write about time and how it travels way too fast. I literally was in awe that April had already ended and I was preparing for new invoices and schedule for the month of May. If I have learned one thing it is to never take time for granted and always always ALWAYS be in the moment. I say this often but not often enough. Reminders are necessary to create instinctual habits. Here is to my goal for May - Be in the Moment May! :)