Opportunities

Yes, I've been neglecting my blog. Sorry, all three of my readers, but some really great things happened that took over my life. See, after teaching Zumba for over two and a half years, I got some really great opportunities. I've written quite a bit about my Zumba adventure in the past almost four years, but I've also not written about a lot—mainly the ugly stuff. Yes, even Zumba has an ugly side, and it has a lot to do with the extremely competitive nature of it. I was warned about that side of teaching before I even got licensed, and I promised myself I wouldn't get drawn into the drama. For me, Zumba was always about fun and joy and sharing the love I found there with others, and I didn't want to mess that up. I even got a friend to promise she'd slap me upside the head if I ever started acting like a bitch. She hasn't had to do that, but she has talked me out of quitting more than once. I've been lied to, blindsided, and betrayed by directors, bosses, and so-called friends. Add that to the fact that I've had a hard time finding classes to teach. Oh, I've been teaching, but they've been classes that were temporary or that got cancelled (sometimes without any warning) or that ran out of funding or that I got unceremoniously kicked out of or that I've been constantly afraid that they're going to be cancelled because not enough people are showing up. It's a lot of stress, and it can get very disheartening. No matter how many people tell you you're a good instructor, when you don't have a stable class and you can't seem to get your foot in the door anywhere, it takes an emotional toll.

But every time I decided it wasn't worth it anymore and I was going to give up and stop banging my head against the wall, someone was there to talk me out of it—mostly by reminding me why I started teaching in the first place. It was never about me; it's about sharing what I love with anyone who shows up, and if that was one person who had no rhythm and not enough stamina to make it through a full class, that's OK. It's not about me. And every time, I decided to keep banging against that wall and just be grateful for every class I got to teach and every person who showed up. As I started concentrating on being grateful, I became a lot less stressed; I just relaxed and let myself enjoy teaching. And then, as often happens, the opportunities started coming.

Within one week, I got on payroll with both Salt Lake County (which means I can teach at all SL Country rec centers) and the South Davis Recreation Center—both of which are huge. I also started team teaching an Aqua Zumba class, which is fabulous. Since then, I've been able to sub for some amazing classes, help out with a few charity Zumbathons, and share a lot of awesome experiences with fellow instructors and students alike. Here are just a few:


Warming up the runners at the Color Run.

At the EMZ (Early Morning Zumba) Party in Pink class.



A few of the instructors at the Northwest Rec Center's Party in Pink Zumbathon.



A few shots from the Zumbathon for Ethan (a local kid who passed away from cancer—we raised over $1400 for his family).

I love those last two pictures (the last one is from the SDRC Halloween class) because they show exactly why I love this stuff: awesome friends and being able to share the joy Zumba has brought me with others. And the moral of this story? The more I relax and just be grateful for what I already have, the more opportunities and adventures I get to experience. The blessings just keep coming.