When I was growing up, I loved the movie Pure Country. A line in the movie always stuck with me about performing and not wanting to be a dancing chicken… A character is reminiscing about how when he was a child he saw dancing chickens at the county fair – they were standing on a hot plate and the heat was turned up under their feet to make them dance. He was not going to be a dancing chicken… I never forgot the scene and think of it when I feel forced into something I do not want to do. I do not want to be a dancing chicken!
At the completion of my psychospiritual training we had a graduation event one evening in Miami. The event was set up with multiple challenges to get past our own self-imposed limits. I learned so much about myself that night, I heard the tiger and strawberry story for the first time, I broke a board with my hand, and I was able to pause and get clear on how my desire to not being a dancing chicken can hold me back at times.
From the beginning of the evening, I was keenly aware of not being a dancing chicken. I had birthed three nine-pound babies (give or take a few ounces) I did not need to prove anything to anyone by walking on glass. As the night progressed, I watched my classmates conquer amazing challenges and started to wonder what I was going to take away from the night. Was I going to stay in the energy of not being a dancing chicken or was I going to lean into this experience? The culminating event of the night was a fire walk. I went outside and watched them light the coals. While standing by the fire, I received a message on my watch from my son and it said, “you shine”. (Emmett and I have a constant banter going based on our movement rings closing, but the words really touched me – even if it was just because I closed my rings!) A few things became very clear to me in that moment. Whether I walked or not on the fire, my kids would still believe that I shined. I would not walk on the fire to be anyone’s dancing chicken. I did not need to prove anything to anyone else. I would walk on the fire because this was an opportunity to be brave, to face a unique challenge, and to shine for me! I chose to walk on the fire with my co-coaching partner. We did it together holding hands.
There are big differences in making choices to prove yourself or your worth to others and choosing to see your own bravery! I almost missed an opportunity to stand in my own power because I was so dug in on not being a dancing chicken. At the end of the night, Dana and I had done something amazing. We chose to participate in a once in a lifetime experience. We celebrated the culmination of our training by being brave and walking on fire – we chose to face a challenge that a few hours earlier in the night seemed impossible. We chose to shine!
Bravery, Connection, Love, and So Much Gratitude for the Opportunity