Pointes and Perspective #27 Follow Your Compass, Not Your Clock

Jan 25 / Heather Jean Wilson, Teaching Artist, Professor, Founder Baa Baa Ballet & Grunt If You Understand

Follow Your Compass, Not Your Clock

As a dance educator, and also a mother of four young adults, I have had many experiences with high school and college students, trying to suddenly decide…

“What should I do with my life?!”

I always answer their question with a teasing, but truthful, “I am not sure what to tell you. I haven’t even figured out what I am going to be when I grow up yet!”

My youngest daughter, Kate, loves Biology. She worked hard to graduate high school in the top of her class, with an array of University acceptances to choose from. She had a plan. She would attend University of Delaware as a Nursing student, graduate in 4 years, get a job, an apartment, and be living her planned life! But after only 2 weeks at school, Kate had the sudden realization that nursing was not up her alley, that she would prefer to focus on neuroscience, that University life was not what she thought it would be, and the reality of finances settled in. She quickly transferred home to a State University, changed her major to neuroscience, and was again on track with her life plan! At the end of her second year, she shadowed for a Radiology department, and approached yet another turn in the road. She fell in love with Radiology, but she would have to transfer again, to a school where the program was offered! Panic set in as she researched schools, acceptance rates and dates, and whether she had the proper prerequisites. But what stressed her the most, was her timeline. She was adamant about staying on track to have her job, her apartment, and to be living her life… on schedule!

If I had one wish for all these young people, it would be that, I wish they would stop worrying about the clock, and rather, be on board and present for life's adventures! Embrace and enjoy the twists and turns in the road, and the growth and the experiences that the journey grants you.

Life coach, Leslie Vernick, cautions that, “Our entire lives have turned into an exercise in hurry.” She guides us to. “Learn to LIVE ON PURPOSE and with purpose. Don’t let the urgent dictate your schedule. Instead ask yourself – What’s most important to you? What matters most now?”

My youngest son, Christian, is a phenomenally talented woodworker. He is a senior in high school, and was anxiously looking forward to applying to be a craftsman for a renowned wood craft company. As we get closer to his graduation, I recently asked if he had reached out to the owner of the company about the possibility of a position. He suddenly spoke with caution, wondering if it was smart to make his passion into his job. He said, “Maybe I’ll get a job at Harbor Freight and do my woodcraft on the side so I don’t lose interest in it and get burned out.”

My heart sank. As someone who lives out of passion versus fear, I advised Christian to ALWAYS do something you love! Most likely, you won’t get burned out. And if you do, you will already have turned down a different road, and have another passion to follow, and your compass will lead you through your next adventure.

Writer, Jeff Fayerer, asserts, “Human interests can be wide-ranging and ever-changing, making it difficult to pin down just one thing that drives us. Embracing various interests and exploring multiple avenues can lead to a more fulfilling life. Passion can change over time. What excites and motivates you today may not necessarily do so in the future. As we grow and evolve, our passions can shift and take on new forms.”

As artists, and dancers specifically, our journeys customarily take us all over the map. We stay at some destinations for a short time, and others at length. I was listening to dancer, Joe Nickel, speak on his podcast recently, pointing out that if you have a normal lifespan, and you want to have a career in the dance industry, you will wear many hats. “The performance side of it may arguably be your shortest chapter, versus teaching, directing, or choreographing.”

I recently read a post by Dance Educator, Deborah Engerman. “If you want professional dance to be a season of your life, go do the work to create that season for yourself. And when you are ready to move on to a new season, you can feel the fulfillment of experiencing it all—just at different times of your life.”

So when my students, and my children, are trying to decide what to do with their life, I encourage them, first, don’t be in a rush, and secondly, remember that it's fine to change directions! Following your passion, your love, and your compass, rather than the clock, will promise fulfillment every day, down every road, through every chapter. Put the brakes on, slow down, enjoy every moment, every day, and every season.

Follow Your Compass, Not Your Clock!

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