Grace, in many forms

Last night I was in my belly dance class and we were working on some particularly difficult (for me) moves. As I watched my extraordinarily graceful instructor glide about as though her body was pardoned of its obligations to gravity, it dawned on me that in many cases, grace isn't just something you naturally have, it's created, nurtured and worked toward by the individual.

Belly dance, like any other form of dance, is much harder than it appears. A good belly dancer can make it look as though she is comfortable, happy and enjoying every movement that naturally occurs in her beautiful, graceful body. While it is true that years of practice create muscle memory that make performing easier, there are still a great many movements that just feel, for lack of a better term, awkward! There is also a lot to think about when doing the movements in order to do them correctly.

It's not unlike the process one goes through to be graceful under pressure at work, home or in any other situation. Think about a job interview. It doesn't come naturally to sit there with someone who is about to decide your fate and chat naturally about your best attributes, while smiling confidently, does it? Or what about when you are in an uncomfortable discussion with your child, friend, boss, sibling or spouse?

The fact of the matter is that most of us aren't inherently graceful. It is something we developed in order to maintain our jobs, relationships, friendships and quality of lives. Grace is a desired quality to possess, and it is one that takes training and practice to acquire just as belly dancing, ballet or yoga will require the same. Just as you become frustrated while crafting a new skill, you may occasionally become too frustrated to remain graceful in a tense situation.

So today as you go about your day, congratulate yourself for the situations you remain graceful throughout and don't be too hard on yourself for the times your grace falters. After all, it is all part of learning and practicing for your most important performance, the dance of life.