All posts tagged: focus

The Focus of a Dancer

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When I was a slender young thing in pink ballet tights and pastel leotards, my dance teacher taught me about balance. Holding the body with poise and presence is as much a discipline as flexibility, turnout, musicality and strength. With a leg in arabesque – that is, high as possible, straight as possible in the air behind me – she would say, “Claire, imagine there are strings attached to your fingers on both hands, to the top of your head and to the big toe of the foot you have lifted. Those strings are pulling with equal force.” Imagining the invisible forces at work, I would stretch my arms further, elongate my neck and straighten my head, push that leg a little higher and plant the heel of my supporting leg firmer into the floor. Then, with a calm that belied the screams of a thousand muscles, I would lower into a fondu or chasse, arms soft, face serene. Sigh. How I miss those dancing days! I recognise this same tension in my life today. Invisible …

What Cause Wrenches Your Heart?

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It’s the money month. First day of the financial year and tax agents are poised. Now is when we do our sums and hope for a tidy bonus. It’s also as good a time as any to evaluate our focus. What makes you tick? What gets you out of bed of a morning? What consumes your thoughts? Hint: money and “me” are bad answers. A few weeks back there was a little story in this newspaper about a 15-year-old Scotch Oakburn student who raised more than $1000 to send 200 pairs of soccer boots and supplies to Kenya. Lilli Rand’s donation allowed Kimuka Primary School to create their first soccer team. In the story, Lilli said she wanted to give back to the game she loved – she plays for the Southern Raiders Junior Soccer Club and the Tasmanian under-15s representative team. Lilli’s achievement reminded me how important it is to rise above your own circumstances and be aware of the need beyond. Big picture thinking. I get a particular buzz when I read of young people with …