Dancing

"You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth."
William W. Purkey (1929)

William W. Purkey is professor emeritus at The University of North Carolina in Greensboro, and his area of expertise is education.  The quote above was how he always closed his speeches, and apparently others rather liked it too.

It's been used in popular songs for one thing, and that's probably where you heard it.  But there is a definite message here.

If we live our lives as though there is an audience for everything we do, then we're going to miss a lot.  The question that Christians hear from the clergy sometimes is, "What would Jesus do?"  It takes the mundane matters of our lives and elevates them toward a personal relationship with Jesus.

Perhaps another good question is, "What would you do if no one was watching?"  I've heard people say that character is doing the right thing when no one is watching.  Like the hidden camera that caught the police officer buying boots for a homeless man.

Having no audience frees us to live a little more joyfully, I would imagine.  Dancing carefree, taking some risks, and singing in the car with the radio prime our engines for doing more of these kinds of things when there is an audience.  See what I mean?  We grow more comfortable in our own skin.

Do you know when it is easiest to have that carefree joy?  With children.  It is almost impossible to spend time with a child and not go outside our usual boundaries -- like dancing or singing.  My granddaughter wanted her brother to dance with her the other day -- she's eight and he's five.  He declined and stated, "Boys don't dance."

I told him that the Prince (any of them) dances.  Later when his mom came home, she told him that Daddy dances.  He had no comment.  Maybe he's already seen Daddy dance quite often enough?  Good for Daddy.

Living like we're already in heaven means what?  Practicing kindness and generosity?  Loving and serving others?  Praying and meditating?  Why not practice for our next lives?  Amen to that.