I love meeting people, and it's always fun talking about my business... handmade hoops, classes, the new DVD, teacher trainings, and performances. Usually, the kids come running. They're drawn in by the live music, sunshine and sparkly hoops. Many adults feel nostalgic and reflect back on their childhood with fond memories of hula hooping.
I always have "beater" hoops at my booth, for demonstration and play. These hoops have been dropped, scuffed, scratched, scraped and worn out. I think of them like old baseball gloves. They have character, history and every imperfection has a story behind it. One of my beater hoops was even run over by a car, and it's still kickin'.
They aren't as pretty as the sparkly new hoops I have for sale, but they serve a very important purpose. They exist to inspire people to step out of their comfort zones... to try something new, and to be playful. As adults, we sometimes forget how to play and lose ourselves in an experience. Plus, it's fun to be silly and laugh at ourselves, right?
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| Hoola Monsters at the St. Pete Saturday Morning Market |
They aren't as pretty as the sparkly new hoops I have for sale, but they serve a very important purpose. They exist to inspire people to step out of their comfort zones... to try something new, and to be playful. As adults, we sometimes forget how to play and lose ourselves in an experience. Plus, it's fun to be silly and laugh at ourselves, right?
Or wrong? For some, my innocent "beater hoops" are scary, scary things. All too often, I hear statements like these:
"I used to be able to hula hoop."
"My hips don't move like that anymore."
"I was never a good hula hooper."
"I was never a good hula hooper."
"I'm too old for that."
And my personal favorite:
"Not in front of all these people!"
Now, I'm not talking about the people who walk by without interest. I understand that hooping isn't for everyone, and I certainly don't take that personally. It's the people who look over with curiosity and interest but refuse to try... that's who I'm talking about. Why do we care so much about what others think? Why do people perceive it to be humiliating if they aren't immediately great at something?
I think it's a metaphor for life... We're going to fall and we're going to mess up. It's how we handle the mess ups that make all the difference. We can move through it and flow with grace or we can feel defeated, embarrassed and humiliated. The choice is always ours.
I was thinking about all of this as I drove to North Tampa after the market on Saturday night, for a gig. I was dressed in a gold disco hoodie, black and gold shorts, fishnets, combat boots, a black corset and wearing sparkly red lipstick... typical costume.
The talent agency booked us, and I didn't know much about the client. I just knew that Matthias, Alice and I would be performing for approximately 100 people, and it was a corporate event. The agency also requested crowd participation and asked us to get people out on the dance floor. Turns out, we were performing at a dinner party for bankers, and this would be easier said than done. It was a pretty conservative group, to say the least, and I think it's safe to say that most had never seen hoop dancing or a LED/ Glow show before (our hoops have more than 100 different modes and there are computerized chips that enable the patterns and colors to change every 15 seconds... makes for a great light show ;). So, directly after dinner, the DJ announced us, and the lights were lowered. The crowd went wild!!!! Just kidding. They stared at us like deer in headlights.
So, when the time came for us to visit the tables and get people hooping, we knew it was going to be challenging. I could see the sheer terror in their eyes as we approached, and our hearts were pounding too. An excited crowd and interested participants makes for a much easier performance. Eventually, people got up and hoop danced with us. And when that happened, a handful of their co-workers sprang into action and started videotaping with their phones. Ya know, to help lower people's inhibitions ;)
We offered mini lessons, and everyone who tried it succeded. In situations like this, all we can do is be lighthearted, playful, expressive, creative, and fun. We smile bigger, connect more, and engage the audience. It works, too.
As we were leaving, we received praise and kind words from party goers. Challenges make us stronger, and stepping outside of our comfort zones helps us to grow. So, I invite you to do something that scares you today.
Chances are, it won't be as scary as you think.
Now, I'm not talking about the people who walk by without interest. I understand that hooping isn't for everyone, and I certainly don't take that personally. It's the people who look over with curiosity and interest but refuse to try... that's who I'm talking about. Why do we care so much about what others think? Why do people perceive it to be humiliating if they aren't immediately great at something?
I think it's a metaphor for life... We're going to fall and we're going to mess up. It's how we handle the mess ups that make all the difference. We can move through it and flow with grace or we can feel defeated, embarrassed and humiliated. The choice is always ours.
I was thinking about all of this as I drove to North Tampa after the market on Saturday night, for a gig. I was dressed in a gold disco hoodie, black and gold shorts, fishnets, combat boots, a black corset and wearing sparkly red lipstick... typical costume.
The talent agency booked us, and I didn't know much about the client. I just knew that Matthias, Alice and I would be performing for approximately 100 people, and it was a corporate event. The agency also requested crowd participation and asked us to get people out on the dance floor. Turns out, we were performing at a dinner party for bankers, and this would be easier said than done. It was a pretty conservative group, to say the least, and I think it's safe to say that most had never seen hoop dancing or a LED/ Glow show before (our hoops have more than 100 different modes and there are computerized chips that enable the patterns and colors to change every 15 seconds... makes for a great light show ;). So, directly after dinner, the DJ announced us, and the lights were lowered. The crowd went wild!!!! Just kidding. They stared at us like deer in headlights.
So, when the time came for us to visit the tables and get people hooping, we knew it was going to be challenging. I could see the sheer terror in their eyes as we approached, and our hearts were pounding too. An excited crowd and interested participants makes for a much easier performance. Eventually, people got up and hoop danced with us. And when that happened, a handful of their co-workers sprang into action and started videotaping with their phones. Ya know, to help lower people's inhibitions ;)
We offered mini lessons, and everyone who tried it succeded. In situations like this, all we can do is be lighthearted, playful, expressive, creative, and fun. We smile bigger, connect more, and engage the audience. It works, too.
As we were leaving, we received praise and kind words from party goers. Challenges make us stronger, and stepping outside of our comfort zones helps us to grow. So, I invite you to do something that scares you today.
Chances are, it won't be as scary as you think.
