Cheer For You!
All the wise people in this world have said for ages that service to others and giving to others is the most noble of actions. I couldn’t agree more. I think helping others is one of the best things anyone can do in their lives. Take a look at Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King. They were titans in the field of helping and empowering their communities, and we have remembered them for it.
I have come to believe that these days, society has put an increased emphasis on helping others and it seems like we have forgotten something very important. Which is who is going to take care of you? You must first take care of yourself before you can help anyone else. Think about it. You have to be in the correct mental and emotional state, and physically fit before you can be of any assistance to anyone else around you. This is not selfish. It is smart and calculated. You must have gas in your own gas tank before you can tow another car, right?
Dancing to Victory
After having the pleasure of meeting and talking to Amber Kay, former Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Sister, I had to share her energy with the world. Amber is a professional dancer and has been dancing ever since the age of three. She is also about to receive her Bachelor’ degree in Kinesiology. Amber has been dancing professionally with the NBA and has been a full-time student in a rigorous academic program. What amazing accomplishments, to say the least!
In getting to know Amber, she embodies the true essence of being her own cheerleader. Amber seems always to be in “game on” mode and approaches life so gracefully. I truly believe with her genuine energy; Amber is a great example of what it is to take pride in herself and accomplish her goals. Not only that, but because she is focused on bringing authenticity to the game, I could definitely see how other people around her light up and become more energetic as they interact together.
Amber mentioned the three keys to dancing at the pro level is technique, choreography, and style. While these may seem like broad terms as it pertains to dancing, there is so much more to it. While technique deals with physicality when it comes to auditions, Amber explained to me that she could bring her own flavor and pull from the numerous dance styles to put together great routines. She doesn’t have to rely on what she thinks the judges want to make it happen, but rather takes charge and gives her best while on the floor. As for choreography, Amber says although she feels nervous at times, she takes a different mindset and has no expectations while in front of all those watching faces. Instead, she digs deep down and takes the right action to give a stellar dance performance. And don’t forget style. I don’t know anybody else that brings such a unique style to her craft. Amber knows a plethora of dance styles. However, she pulls all her dance knowledge together from all her years of hard work and creates a style of her own when performing. By using all her tools in her tool box, her style, her creativity and taking pride in her craft and of course practice, practice, practice, she has come in first place time after time in her auditions; sometimes even in tryouts with more than five hundred dancers! Amber’s accolades definitely speak for themselves.
What I’ve Learned
Man, sometimes I think I’m crazy. If I’m having a rough day or need to get something huge accomplished during the week, I’ll literally give myself a pep talk in the mirror or while I drive my car in between activities. From the outside looking in, I might look a little weird talking to myself out loud. I disagree. I am taking the advice of cheering for myself very literally. Just like Amber and her Spirit Sisters cheer for their team and hype the crowd with dance and positivity, I do the same and lift myself up with endearing words and positive vibes. What I’ve learned from Amber is that dancing and cheering is just another outlet to bring forth her best to whatever she does in her life. There were many challenges along the way for her to reach to such a high level of competition. I was inspired by her to hear how she overcame many of these challenges while moving from dance school to dance school and going to audition to audition and still had massive success in all that she did. I think the same is with all of us in whatever journey we are on in life. I believe that we must have a positive and focused mindset on a daily basis in order to be a functional part of our community. I think by keeping ourselves in high esteem, we can bring forth fresh energy to all our careers, in school, in service, and most importantly when we interact with our family and friends. When we come from this space and mindset, we can not only be a shining example of how to be a great human being but how we can be able to help inspire others to navigate life. We want to savor and enjoy life and make all our days worth living passionately. So go on and go tackle life, keeping yourself motivated and getting those wins in every day. Life is in session! Game On!
Watch Now
Some Cool Links:
Amber’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ambernkay7/
Los Angeles Clippers http://www.nba.com/clippers/
Clippers Spirit http://www.nba.com/clippers/test-spirit-show-hub/
Orange Theory Fitness http://www.orangetheoryfitness.com/