“Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.” ― Oprah Winfrey 
According to Beto Perez, the creator of Zumba, more than 15 million people in more than 180 countries Zumba every week.
Why?
Because it’s easy (“I wanted it to be something my mother could do,” Beto says) and it’s fun (Fun equals lasting behavioral change, he also says).
In fact, the ultimate goal of any Zumba class is to feel the FEJ.
It stands for freeing, electrifying joy. And that’s what happens when you dance uninhibited to hip-hop, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo.
You may be wondering what Zumba has to do with ACIM Lesson 35: My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.
Zumba went from obscure dance class in Cali, Colombia to worldwide phenomena for one simple reason. A marketing genius transformed it from have-to (I’ve got to go exercise) into I-cannot-WAIT-to.
Unlike Zumba, God and being holy has a major PR problem. It’s the last place most people would turn to find freeing and electrifying joy. Church, crucifixes, penance. I mean, who needs it?
Even worse, as someone once said, “I have nothing against God. It’s his fan club to which I take exception.”
So I propose a new way of looking at God. Not only have I changed the name (The Dude. The Field of Infinite Potentiality. The Divine Buzz are just a few I’ve been known to use), but I tell anybody who will listen that the real God (not the God invented by man, fabricated for the sake of control) is the coolest, the most fun, the most direct path to FEJ I’ve ever found.
Or as Beto Perez says,
“Magic happens when your inhibitions (or old school beliefs ) go out the window.”
“If you happen to get lost, just shake your booty.”
Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her new book, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.
18 Responses
A) I have enjoyed Zumba, as one of my favorite workouts, for several years now – for those very same reasons! It’s so not work!
B) Love that video!
C) Just today, I dusted off my copy of “Thank and Grow Rich”, and am enjoying thumbing through the dog eared pages. I never tire of your writing, Pam! Thank you for all the books, and for the daily blog.
Life is freakin’ Amazingly Awesome (And Extraordinarily Epic)!
xox
Okay, so you know how I said that I am thumbing through Thank and Grow Rich?, Well, I am actually super sucked in, and just fully reading it, not skimming. I just read the story about Catherine Behan (ManifestFaster.com), put down the book and looked her up. Well, the very most recent blog post (Feb 1st) is called, wait for it…The Pam Grout Experiment!
Synchronicity is fun!
Now I have a new blog I’m gonna be following.
LOVE getting you daily emails ❤️. I have read an interesting book More Tales of the paranormal. Have to read her first one – Tales of the paranormal. She sadly passed away at age 52 while writing her third book. I am trying to find out how. She studied cognitive neurobiology and had a PHd in it and talks about some of the science behind some of her tales. I think you would LOVE the stories ! Interestingly I did not go looking for a book on this topic. I was at the library and asked for a book on another topic completely unrelated and the guy helping me went to the section where this was – turned out to be the wrong section and this caught my eye. As I was reading it I kept thinking why was I drawn to this book – why was I meant to read this. Well one of last stories in The book was about a mother communicating with her son through electricity – lights. My dad Passed oct 2016. Last year we experience lots of light flickerings. Once two lights were going crazy in our bathroom. I joked with my husband that maybe it was my dad visiting and he said no the lights were just dying. Well they never did die. I now believe from reading the book it really was him visiting. I highly recommend you read her books 🙂 Happy Sunday !! Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
This is awesome…and I love the new titles you have come up with, especially the Divine Buzz. Thank you, thank you! ~ Blessings, KK
I so agree with you on the God thing. I still have to figure out the best way to tell that story because I know but the world is so filled with stuck in their paradigm. I have always wondered what Zumba was exactly but never took a class because I was afraid of losing my balance. Maybe I’ll find a You tube and watch and learn in the safety of my home. 🙂 I could use a little fun movement. Keep shaking it up. 🙂
Hi Pam,
I like how you used Zumba & Beto to add to the story. I thought you might want to know, his name is Alberto, as you probably figured, however, he goes by Beto, not Berto. My Zumba instructor was one of his international presenters about 15 years ago.
Love your blog. 😉
Bonnie
Thank you Pam, for being so generous with your time. ❤️
Since you gave me permission in E2, I call it Maurice (cuz he speaks of the pompatus of love).
Almost two years ago I replied to one of your post. Undenounced to me until tonight when I googled my own name I noticed my “comment” to one of your blogs showed up. Though I own my words and excitedly wrote you, I was not aware my full name would be published on the Internet for all to see associated with that comment. Could you please either remove comment entirely or my name so it is Anonymous. Pretty please. I’m loving my life these days and I owe that in part to you but some of circumstances I shared in that comment are probably not for all eyes. Thank you for all your insight, inspiration and pure fun. I have all of your books and even have New age posse to share your insights. Well, not really a posse just a friend that I met who happens to read similar material. Lol. Here is link to that comment and my name is Kami Kincheloe.
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Oops. Here is link https://pamgrout.com/2016/08/04/magical-stories-for-yet-another-magical-week/#comments
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What was the issue with the other comment? Did you make it to Hawaii?
Love your posts Pam – especially the Zumba – I’m 81 and having fun – starting to rhyme also!…….Love y’all!
Cool as ever you fabulous dudette you! 😉 Love it! 💟
Just started a Zumba class with my granddaughter. I like the comparison in this article. If I am totally present in class I get to experience that freeing electrifying joy….I need to start letting my hair down and going through my day with the intention of experiencing the FEJ.. I know it’s always available and mine for the experiencing. Thanks Pam
Thas why the Big guy created Motown sista! 😉
I love this post! Brilliant and funny as always especially the part “ I have nothing against God. It’s his fun club to which I take exception”.
Being raised Catholic really messed up my inner dialogue. So much self judgment, self-hate, self-blame.
How can we truly love anyone if we hate ourselves? While journaling this morning monitoring my inner dialogue it occurred to me- if God is love and we are created in his image, I’m definitely not honoring Him with my self-hatred. It’s would seem obvious and yet somehow it is not.
It’s almost like reverse-engineering thought process.
If we all truly loved ourselves we would no longer needs wars to solve our arguments. B
Thank you for all that you do Pam Grout: your books, your bravery,your sense of humor, and the hope you bring into this world. I love you “sister”!
Thank you and wish I could be so good with words and expressing myself as you one day.
Ya mon!! Love it!! Thanks, Pam.
I have a friend who went to Roman Catholic schools through high school. She was so afraid of God she didn’t want to go to heaven. This carried into adulthood until she & her husband became friends with an Episcopal priest & discovered that God was a friendly God.
Oh, one more thing, I read this every day.