I had this notion that I wanted to be more physically active.
I walk a lot. I garden a lot.
But in the last few years as my arthritis in my knees has gotten worse…so has my confidence about trying something that I used to enjoy: going to a class, with music, other people and moving…
I guess time can just go by and then one day you think: well am I going to or not.
If you are anything like me: the little voice inside can flood you with doubt: maybe my knees are too bad and I won’t be able to do it, maybe I won’t be able to “keep up”, maybe I’m not the right age for this…(in my case I had a pre-conceived notion that I wasn’t old enough for jazzercise).
Months passed.
Occasionally trying it would pass through my mind.
Then one day I decided I would ask my friend (who is younger than me and goes to jazzercise) through a text, out-of-the-blue: I’m thinking of going to a jazzercise class is there one that you would recommend for me?
Now my friend is a wonderful human.
She wrote back with all the info, plus she said- if you come with me I’ll introduce you to everyone -they’re all really lovely and kind: you’ll fit right in. Your first class is free.
She didn’t pressure me at all.
So I took my 10 seconds of courage (the same 10 seconds I have come to know well in my business) and wrote back to say I would see her at the next class. Then I put it in my calendar.
I went.
Could I keep up- yes, yes I could.
Because “keeping up” turns out is with myself- not those around me.
There were a few familiar faces of moms I’d met when our children were classmates. All the women in the class and one man, were SO welcoming.
Through my friend, I met lots of lovely people before the music started when people stand around and catch up. I had the conversation about how my name isn’t Lisa. It’s Lise-Lotte. My mom was Danish and I grew up just down the road from this community gym.
At the end of the class, women came up and said encouraging things like: “Don’t worry if you don’t get the steps right away, it took me a while- nobody is watching you anyway, we’re just trying to keep up ourselves”; “I always think that the main thing is that I come here and I’m moving, as long as you are here moving”;”Did you have fun?”
There are so many ages, stages, fitness levels.
People have been coming here for years. I mean like YEEEARS!
Women with knee supports, women who look like they make exercise videos professionally because their form is so good and they can jump high, women who can get up and down on the mats and those of us who stay on our feet and do the alternate exercises.
So now after these few weeks, I notice when the people who are around me aren’t in their regular spot. Because they are off to London England for some culture, or because their complex was getting painted and they had to organize that as their community’s leader, or they came down with that terrible flu their nephew gave them when they came to visit from Edmonton.
For so long, I had all these reasons in my head about why I couldn’t go.
Turns out, I wasn’t too late.
Turns out everyone was SUPER friendly and encouraging.
Turns out they are more concerned about doing their thing and not judging me.
Turns out: I love it.
Turns out I am challenging myself and some days (depending on what kind of gardening tasks I was doing the day before) I can do more or less than the last class. I’m getting to know some of the routines. They change all the time as the teacher has a huge repertoire.
Turns out my life IS better because I am moving in this way, in a community of kind women and an encouraging teacher. I am noticing small physical strength and flexibility changes and it is helping me in my life in the garden. I have surprised myself in class trying things like jumping when I had avoided it in the last few years out of a fear of injury.
And then I got to thinking about my GEM members and people that come to me to learn more about finding connection through creativity.
It’s been hard for me to talk about, because I’ve always just been creative. So I don’t know what it’s like really to wonder if I could be creative.
Turns out, I do know what it’s like, because I had this jazzercise experience.
So if you are feeling like you wish you could be creative.
You wish you had hobbies.
You wish that you were doing art things,
but you’re kind of feeling like you might not fit in, or maybe everybody else has better skills than you, or a teacher told you when you were little that you wouldn’t be an artist and you’ve never been colour coordinated in your life, and you just don’t…..because it’s… you are…..
But you’d love to try.
I’m just here to tell you.
Jazzercise is awesome.
Creativity is awesome.
Starting on Sunday, I’m doing a 5 Day Creativity Challenge to give you a chance to awaken your creativity. I don’t know why I’m calling it a challenge— there are no prizes, no competition, you don’t need to share what you make.
Each day I will send something right to your inbox.
On Sunday April 13th I will have a LIVE zoom call to kick off the first day together at 11 am pacific time–
You will leave your week with a renewed relationship with your creativity and its importance in your busy life.