Finding Your Beat: The Choice to Dance

I’ve been thinking about something I’ve noticed for years while playing music at various locations in Arizona and Minnesota.

I’ve played at a community called Greenfield Village in Mesa for about 15 years, and here’s what still makes me smile every time…

The first song starts… and they’re dancing.

Not “maybe after a couple of songs.”
Not “once you play something faster.”
Not “when you get to the one song that finally gives them permission.”

They’re dancing right away—and they don’t stop.

Meanwhile, in plenty of other places I play, I’ll often hear:
“Can you play something we can dance to?”

And I always think:
I’m playing the same songs.
Same guitar. Same voice. Same set list.
So why the difference?

I think the answer has less to do with music… and more to do with mindset.

In Mesa, people seem to arrive already decided:

“We’re dancing tonight.”

They don’t need the perfect tempo, the perfect genre, or the perfect moment.
They just participate.

And that got me thinking about life…

Life plays a lot of “songs” we didn’t request.

Some are upbeat and easy.
Some are slow and heavy.
Some feel like that awkward track you’d normally skip.

But here’s the question I’ve been sitting with:

Are we waiting for the perfect song… or choosing to dance anyway?

Because so much of “finding our rhythm” comes down to the choices we make:

• Do I show up—or sit out?

• Do I engage—or just observe?

• Do I look for what’s good—or fixate on what’s wrong?

Now, I want to be really clear:
There are times when the healthiest thing you can do is change the environment—leave a toxic situation, step away from a relationship that’s harming you, or move on from a job that’s crushing your spirit.

But many of life’s situations aren’t “escape now” situations… they’re choice situations.

And sometimes the most powerful choice we can make is simply this:

I’m going to participate. I’m going to be present. I’m going to dance—right where I am.

A simple challenge for this month

Here are three “dance moves” you can try—no rhythm required:

1) Choose one thing you’ll fully show up for this week.
A conversation. A workout. A meeting. A family dinner. A quiet morning.

2) Catch yourself asking, “When will this get better?” and replace it with:
“What’s one thing I can do today to bring good energy into this?”

3) Don’t wait for motivation. Start with movement.
Even a small action changes your internal soundtrack.

Final thought

The beat of life is going to keep playing.
The question isn’t whether the music will be perfect.

The question is:
Will we dance?

Until next time—keep finding your beat,

Tim

P.S. If you know someone who’s been sitting life out lately, forward this to them and simply say: “Dance anyway.” That might be the nudge they need.