Dance Me Free

Did you know that Dance Me Free is on Youtube? (It’s called TasleemLaila1478) And guess what? One of the videos on the channel reached a personal goal of 1111 views!

Now, I know that for some people, this is not a big deal. But for me, it was huge because I started with not even being sure if I would get one view, or more importantly, if I wanted anyone to actually view my content at all.

Why would I create a YouTube channel and not want it being viewed? I was scared. Scared of what I would look like on video, scared of what others would think, scared of not knowing how to record and upload the video, and most of all, scared of what might come out of my mouth!

I mean, what was I going to say? How was I going to come up with topics and ideas that would be of interest? What if people find me boring, or all the subjects that I am passionate about come out as a big old mess? What if I end up wanting to hide, instead of show up with the enthusiasm I felt inside?

Despite all these fears, something in me was saying, Just do it! And I listened. Funny enough, my first video was entitled something along the lines of that- “Listening to the Signs That Whispered ‘You Should Start a YouTube Channel!’”

It’s amazing how candid you can be about your experiences, and just share them as you really are. And how sometimes that in itself is what has people gravitating to you. I realized I loved that about many of the YouTubers that I was watching. I resonated with the ones who were being real, and revealing their vulnerabilities, but still going for what inspired them. And sharing something meaningful to them.

What I learned is that’s all it takes. To take a little step. Not a big giant one, nothing that has to be “perfect”. Just one step forward. And to be real. To speak in your language. To speak the way you speak. You don’t have to figure it out all beforehand or try to sound like someone else. And it was a good reminder of how I wanted to show up in other areas of my life. To just take that one next step that is aligned with my authentic self.

We often get so worried about the future of our decisions. What will happen? How will it go? What if I don’t know enough? What if I’m not ready? But that’s not really ours to figure out. What we just need is a bit of inspiration, a little push to just start. And you know what? The Universe takes care of the rest. It really does. It really did!

My push came from a beautiful belly dancer, speaker, and energy medicine expert named Dondi Dahlin. She saw one of my Facebook live videos on a topic that she inspired, and she commented that I should start a YouTube channel.

I got very shy and giggled at the idea. Who me? I thought. A YouTube channel? But the idea had been secretly brewing inside me. I had been following a lot of amazing YouTubers for a few years by then. And I wanted to share my own ideas too, but didn’t know how to just do it.

Dondi’s comment was the spark that led me to just try. And once I did, I was hooked!

I may have been awkward and putting together videos that were too long, or too shaky, or whose thumbnail photos were sideways to begin with. But I didn’t care because it was fun. I cared more about how curious the process was making me and less about anything that could frustrate me or make me nervous. In fact, the nerves felt more like excitement, and were enticing me to do more. To get “better” at it. And each time I made another video, I wanted more of it. More of what I was learning, more practice, more insights. It became addictive. And thankfully, I had a couple of people who I didn’t even know, who started making comments that were very encouraging and kept me going.

Thank you John, Dee Dee, and some others out there whose names I couldn’t see, who always kept hitting the like button or made a comment. It kept me striving to make another, and another, and another video. One video led to another, and it still does. I honestly can’t stop.

Making my own videos made me more observant about how other YouTubers were setting up their space, angles, and content. And it help me decide on my own preferences. I also realized that people had a choice on whether they wanted to listen or subscribe or not. So I worried less about what naysayers might think, and got more excited about connecting with viewers, even if it was just one, who might benefit from something I say or share.

It’s been two years, and some of my videos were getting more views were getting a lot more views than I expected. So, I decided to set a goal -to reach 1111 views (of course I choose one of the most powerful angel numbers) on any one of my videos. And just this weekend, the goal was reached! And I am ecstatic!

Thank you to all of you who view my channels, who have given me words of support, who have liked and subscribed. I don’t even know who a lot of you are, but I wanted you to know it has made all the difference!

Making a new video is one of the things I look forward to the most. And I wanted to just remind you that you too can take a step towards something that you desire, even if you are not sure how to go about. Just take that first step. And I promise you that things just fall into place once the universe knows you are on board for this new endeavor.

I’m so glad I took that chance. It’s been great for my confidence, a great motivator in organizing my thoughts, a good lesson in speaking up and practicing speaking organically. And it has connected me to people like you who I wouldn’t otherwise have been connected to.

What is the channel about? It’s an extension of this blog. It’s based on Dance Me Free and the power of Dance to inspire, free and heal. If you’re interested in lessons learned through dance- like connection, surrender, flow, grounding, energy healing, freedom, masculine and feminine energies and more- check it out It is called TasleemLaila1478. (In honor of the ever lasting connection between me and my mom Laila. After all, it’s because of her I’m here and can show up the way I do).

Can’t wait to connect with you further here and there.

And please write in or comment or subscribe. I love hear your ideas and suggestions. And let me know in what areas you are taking the next step.