What is this thing called “Bop”?
Part 1: Balanced
When I became involved in the theory of BOP, it reminded me of my youth in the late fifties. Those were the days! There was this dance craze going on at the time called “The Be-Bop” or as my mother used to call it, “The Dirty Boogie.” My grandmother was worse; to her it was the devil’s music! I used to sneak out every chance I could to go to my friend’s house. We’d listen to records like Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets and we’d rock around the clock! So when I came up with the term BOP, it brought me back to when I was a teenager and all the fun I had just listening and dancing the night away.
When you are in BOP you are in a state of greatness where the universe is working with you. Everything is in harmony and you feel that you can achieve anything! So, how would you like to get into this state of order? Let’s examine what BOP means: BOP is an anagram for Balanced, Observant and Present—and if you desire to boogie, then you need to know how to apply these three things in your life! First let’s talk about balance.
There are many ways to define Balance. It could be a trapeze artist trying to hold their balance on a tightrope, or something simple like balancing your checkbook. If you’re like me balancing the check book is not so easy— my wife Nancy does that. But what I’m talking about is being in balance. The essence of balance is when there is order. You’re standing up in a boat but not rocking it. You’re driving a sports car and you’ve shifted the gears into neutral—you have the choice of shifting it to a lower or higher gear. You are in control. Being in balance is a state the runner is in when the gun goes off. The key to being in balance is in being aware of all of your five senses, and turning them on.
Now how many times have you heard someone say, “Watch out!” “Don’t be caught off balance!” “Stay on your toes!” “Stop slouching!” “Stand up straight!” and “Don’t be caught flat-footed!”—sound familiar? By the way, check out the bottom of your shoes. Is the heel more worn than the soles? Now walk across the room. How do you feel? Do you feel like you’re leaning more on the heels or the soles of your shoes?
If you are on your heels, you need to get on the balls of your feet. Ready? I’m going to tell you how: Start by placing your feet shoulder width apart. Then, place your weight on the balls of your feet, and lean forward slightly. Start walking, one foot after the other. How do you feel? Are you aware of your feet hitting the ground? Are you on the balls of your feet? If you are, congratulations! That’s the first step to being balanced and when you are balanced life isn’t such an up-hill battle.
To further demonstrate being physically out of balance, I’ll tell you a story about this actor I coach. He had lost a bunch of weight but still walked like he was overweight. He was on the back of his heels and he wasn’t standing up straight. So the first thing we worked on was how to be balanced. I corrected his stance by making him stand up straighter and showed him how to be on the balls of his feet. One of his favorite exercises was for him to walk a straight line. He called it his John Wayne walk. So after a few sessions with me, he’s walking tall with such confidence, that there’s a spring in his step.
A few months go by and I get a call from him: “Hey Coach, I’m so glad you taught me how to walk a straight line because last night, I got pulled over by the cops! I wasn’t drinking—I was just so tired from shooting all day that I was just driving too slow. The cop asked me to walk a straight line and even though I was exhausted, I still was able to be on the balls of my feet! The cop knew I was an actor and as he let me go he said: ‘Drive safely and good luck—you know you kind of walk like John Wayne.’ So thanks Pilgrim!”
When you are balanced you are on the balls of your feet—steady and prepared for whatever life throws at you.
Being in BOP means your sensory acuity is firing on all cylinders. By examining each component of BOP one at a time, you will learn how simple it is to attain this state of greatness.
Be BOP!
