Tango - The threat level is yellow
By DelMio Editor
March 18th, 2008 | Leave a comment
I read Tango on a plane to Chicago, feeling slightly weird. It seems I was about to be that guy, the one who sits at the Chili’s near gate A7 reading self-help books with scuffed shoes and a rolling suitcase. I don’t want to be that guy.
I looked over the chapter titles: “The Stronger the Axis, the Fewer Feet Needed on the Floor;” “Always Keep Your Heart in Front;” and “Learn to Dance, but Let the Dance Teach You.” They didn’t really move me, no pun intended. How, I thought, am I going to slog through a book about dancing — which I can’t do (please see first post) — that at the same time preaches some sort of Best Life-esque techniques for better living?
So, I sat in my aisle seat and opened the book. It was then I realized that tango — literally, the dance — meant so much more to Potts than an assemblage of dance steps. Even though I’d never tangoed in my life, she was able to bring the dance to bear on many other aspects of my life:
1. You define the boundaries and rules of any engagement. If someone or something makes you uncomfortable — or doesn’t respect you —leave immediately.
2. If you anticipate too much, you’ll kill the moment.
3. You accomplish more and greater things when you work as a team.
4. Trust in yourself and look like you know what you’re doing, and you’ll do well.
So much of Tango the book and tango the dance follows these principles. Don’t dance with a domineering partner; don’t work for a domineering boss. Don’t try to plan every step; don’t plan every minute of your day.
Essentially, it boils down to this: Relax, and enjoy yourself. You’ll feel better and — a shock here — you’ll enjoy yourself.
