LIFE ISN’T ONLINE
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2
It’s a tough world. When I was growing up as a young, aspiring ballerina, of course there was no internet, no instagram, no facebook….none of that. The ballet world was competitive enough without all of that stuff. Thankfully, I grew up in a ballet studio that felt like a little family, and the only time I really felt the competition creep in was at auditions for summer programs and summer programs themselves.
When I began dancing professionally, competition was obvious. You could feel it in the ballet studio. Everyone wanted to be the best. Everyone wanted to catch the director’s eye. Everyone wanted the lead role. Everyone wanted to be a star.
Nowadays, young dancers, I don’t know how you do it. Having the ability to share ballet photos and videos is amazing, but it’s also a new pressure that I didn’t have to deal with. I am a huge fan of social media because without it, I would not have found YOU. But at the same time, I want to encourage you with a word that maybe no one around you is saying….
Paloma Herrera, Misty Copeland, Wendy Whalen, and other incredible dancers of our time, did not get where they are today by building their social media following. They got there through blood, sweat, tears. And I like to think they got there through prayer too, although, I do not know them personally.
The most beautiful, gifted, talented, and exceptional ballerinas are not the ones that are growing their accounts. They are the ones that don’t have to because they are busy dancing the roles they dreamed of when they were little girls and working hard in the studio day in and day out, perfecting their technique.
A big following, although it’s great and fun, will not get you into a ballet company. Directors are not looking at how many followers you have. They are not looking to see how active you are on social media. They want to know how disciplined you are in the studio. They want to know how well you work with other dancers. They want to know how hard you will work in rehearsals. They are looking for dancers who work and dance with passion….and it’s something you can’t find on facebook or instagram. It’s found in real life. Make sure you are spending more time on real life, real dancing, than in the unreality of the online world. And remind your heart to go to God when you feel doubts about your dancing creep in. Don’t go to instagram or facebook…it will only feed your insecurity. Go to Him. Set your mind on Him…not on earthly things. Let Him sweetly remind you that He has gifted you with special gifts and talents and for specific assignments. If dancing is in His plan for you, He will guide you and give you all that you need to walk (or dance) in that path.
This doesn’t just apply to the dancer in me, but I am reminded today as a woman, as a wife, as a Mommy…life isn’t online….although it’s fun to share and follow and so forth….real life is the stuff that goes on behind the scenes. It’s the time with God, the time with family, the conversations that happen, the life that happens…where no picture is taken, where no word is recorded….it’s the good stuff. I have lofty goals…to be a better wife and mom, to dance my heart out as long as I can, to write from the deep place of my heart….will I choose to build my following or will I choose to invest my heart in things that matter most? Will I choose to compare my dancing to other dancers, or will I choose to go put in the time in the studio? Will I choose to invest time in making my life look picturesque, or will I choose dry shampoo and yoga pants today so that I can spend more time with my boys? Will I choose to scroll through someone else’s life, or will I get busy living my own life with a grateful heart?
Prayer: “Lord, thank You for ever pursuing my heart. Thank You for grabbing my attention because You love me so deeply and You so desperately want me to know and experience the abundant life You came to give me. Lord, help me set my mind on things above, not on earthly things. Help me invest my time wisely in the things You are calling me to do and to be mindful of the time I spend online. Lord, pull me back into real life…truly investing in the people around me and the callings You have blessed me with. Give me strength to invest in my dancing, or mothering, or teaching…or whatever it is You have called me to do…”