Dancing in the Rainbow: A Lesson in Freedom, Alignment, and Rediscovering Your Spark
Several years ago, during the annual run/walk event hosted by the nonprofit I worked for, I was doing what I normally did at events — smiling, greeting people, helping ensure things ran smoothly.
In the midst of the movin’ and shakin’, one of the families greeted me with hugs…and a homemade, rainbow-colored tutu.
We chatted about this a few weeks prior, and I was more delighted than I expected to see the tutu in person. And, without thinking too much about it, I slipped it on.
Much to my surprise, something shifted inside me.
Suddenly, I was laughing more freely.
Skipping across the parking lot.
Posing for pictures with people I had never met before.
When the event was over, I walked to my car, still wearing my tutu. As I opened the door, I caught my reflection.
For a moment, I didn’t recognize the woman looking back at me.
She looked joyful.
Playful.
Completely at ease.
It had been a long time since I had seen that version of myself.
The Moment That Stayed With Me
At the time, that moment felt small.
Just a bit of unexpected fun in the middle of a busy day.
But through the years, it has stayed with me.
Because what I experienced in that moment was something deeper than playfulness.
It was freedom.
Freedom from overthinking.
Freedom from worrying about how I was being perceived.
Freedom to simply show up as myself.
That moment eventually became the inspiration for something I called Dancing in the Rainbow.
When Growth Feels Heavy
When many of us begin intentional personal growth, we often hear phrases like “doing the work.”
While that language can be helpful for some, I remember the idea of “doing the work” feeling like another weight.
Work felt serious.
Demanding.
Almost like something to endure.
But my experience that day in the tutu reminded me that growth is not meant to always feel that way.
Sometimes growth looks like movement.
Sometimes it looks like quiet curiosity.
Sometimes it looks like laughter that surprises you.
And sometimes it begins with reconnecting with a part of yourself that you didn’t realize had gone quiet.
The Spark We Sometimes Lose
Life can ask a lot of us.
We work.
We support families.
We care for others.
We navigate responsibilities that can easily fill every available space in our lives.
In the middle of it all, it’s easy to lose touch with the things that once made us feel fully alive.
Our spark doesn’t disappear entirely.
But it can grow quieter.
The curiosity that once guided us gets replaced by obligation.
The freedom we once felt becomes filtered through expectations.
And before we realize it, we are moving through life more carefully than freely.
Reconnecting With What Matters
That moment in the rainbow tutu is always a subtle reminder to me of something important.
Growth is not always about becoming someone new.
More often than we realize, it’s about reconnecting to the magic and beauty of who we have always been.
The curious parts of us.
The expressive parts of us.
The parts that feel most aligned with how we want to live.
When we reconnect with those parts of ourselves, something powerful happens.
We begin to move through life differently.
Our decisions become clearer.
Our boundaries become stronger.
Our voice becomes more confident.
And the spark that once felt distant begins to return.
Leadership in Everyday Life
I have come to realize that the way we show up in our lives shapes how we show up everywhere else.
In our relationships.
In our work.
In the spaces where others are quietly watching to see what is possible.
Leadership, I’ve learned, is not just about titles or positions.
It’s about alignment.
It’s about having the courage to live in a way that reflects what matters most to us.
Sometimes that courage looks serious and determined.
And sometimes…
It looks like putting on a rainbow tutu and remembering how to dance.
Your Turn
If you’ve been feeling stretched, tired, or disconnected lately, you are not alone.
Life can move quickly, and it’s easy to lose sight of the things that once energized us.
But your spark is still there.
Sometimes it simply needs space to breathe again.
As you reflect on your own journey, I invite you to consider this question…
✨ What helps you reconnect with the part of you that feels most alive?
If You’d Like to Explore This More
Much of the work I do with clients is centered around helping them reconnect with their voice, their spark, and the path that feels most aligned with their lives and work.
If you’re curious about what that might look like for you, there are a few ways to begin:
Explore the Permission to Feel guided journal
Take the Leadership Alignment Audit
Schedule a Clarity Consultation
Sometimes the most meaningful growth begins with a single moment of reflection.
