Channeling your creativity into Hobbies will make you happier
[Applause]
dancing is an art
the floor is my canvas and i am the
brush
and whatever i create comes from the
heart
today
i have the privilege of talking to you
about my passion dancing
and how channeling your creativity into
hobbies will make you a happier person
consciousness expresses itself through
creation
this world that we live in is the dance
of the creator
dancers come and go in the twinkling of
an eye but the dance lives on
on many occasions when i’m dancing i
have felt touched by something sacred
in those moments i felt my spirit saw
and become one with everything that
exists
dance for some is a profession
but for most like me dance is a hobby
and for plenty it is something that can
be performed anywhere
all around the world hobbies provoke
different feelings of joy
the world health organization proves
that with a lack of physical exercise
and hobbies both boys and girls current
and future health will rapidly decline
dance is a spontaneous response related
to our needs to express and communicate
our emotions through movement and the
body
dance is the hidden language of the soul
and for everyone the experience is
different
for me around five years ago
my life changed forever
i was an eight-year-old boy trying out
numerous activities
some of which i liked
and others not as much
my mom encouraged me to try dancing at a
local dance school
being a shy and quiet kid the thought of
that was particularly daunting
and not something i thought i would ever
enjoy
i found it overwhelming and equally
nerve-wracking
but at the same time there was something
liberating about going along
listening to loud music and learning to
express myself through dance
i made new friends
my confidence grew my happiness thrived
my creativity emerged and in turn this
opened untold opportunities for me
i’m so thankful i didn’t give up and
persevered as i can’t imagine my life
without the freedom of dance
i went on to join two groups flawless
dance school and a crew called fortunity
who both reach the semi-finals in
britain’s got talent
my styles of dance are hip-hop and
street dance but there are all stars of
dance to choose from
i have been lucky enough
to dance at several events
such as a qpr football match as their
halftime entertainment the o2
dancers delight and move it which are
both prestigious dance events
my love commitment and passion has seen
me competing nationally with a crew
as a solo and as part of a duo
it even opened other doors for me such
as acting
performing
and even teaching at harawat center
lockdown was a challenging time for us
all
it impacted our lives in ways we never
thought possible
i couldn’t go to dance and like everyone
zoom became a normality
i found various online classes which i
would do
and was able to see other faces and
generally keep in touch with others
outside of my home
this proved to be my saving grace
here at john lyon we are incredibly
lucky with all the extracurricular
activities made available to us
however
from personal experience finding a hobby
outside of school is especially
important
no matter what the day has in store
my hobby is my outlet which helps me
cope
and don’t get me wrong i love to watch
tv
go out with all my friends
all the usual stuff
but dance provides me with the physical
and mental rewards that are needed
the benefits of hobbies are widely
recognized
the society of behavioral medicine
published an article in 2015
showing that hobbies provided consistent
with in-person benefits on a person’s
daily health and well-being
people who had hobbies were found to be
in a better mood have more interests be
less stressed and exhibited lower heart
rates
in 2019 the institute of psychology in
belgrade
reported a clear indication that the
more teenagers engaged in hobbies
the more positive wellbeing aspects were
expressed
another clear indication of the benefits
of hobbies
a study produced by researchers from the
world health organization
found that more than 80 percent of
school going adolescence globally did
not meet current recommendations of at
least one hour of physical activity per
day
including 85 percent of girls
and 78 of boys
i have given you a brief insight as to
what has been life-changing for me
when you try something new give it time
don’t give up
and be open-minded
you may be lucky enough to have found
your hobby
for some it may be football drama
music
or even art
the list is endless
for those who haven’t
keep trying different things
as a hobby will teach you discipline
time management and skills that like
school will help you be the best version
of yourself you can be
nobody has ever learnt and perfected
anything in a day
in a week or even in a month
every successor before us has failed
repeatedly until they finally reach what
they believe to be perfection
to dance is to be out of yourself
larger more beautiful
more powerful
this is power it is glory on earth
and it is yours for the taking thank you
very much