Dance Advice for Humans

10 Ballroom Dance Commandments According to Mr. T

Written by Chris Lynam | Mar 30, 2017 6:00:16 AM

The 10 Ballroom Dance Commandments of Mr. T

The only thing stronger than Mr. T's biceps is his Twitter game.  Grrrr.   

No joke.  Not only has Mr. T been the nemesis to Rocky Balboa, and the essential cog in the A-Team's machine - the guy is brimming with tough love, and leadership lessons.  

While you've been watching him on Dancing with the Stars Season 24, on Twitter he's laying down some of the best wisdom and motivation as he is morphed into a ballroom dancer. 

Whether you're a ballroom dancer, or a corporate executive looking for a little motivation, follow Mr. T on Twitter..... Fool!

Mr. T's 10 Commandments 

Don't let the "Ballroom Dance" fool you, this will work for anyone, in any hobby, or any profession.  We took some of the best Twitter posts from Mr. T (@MrT), and evaluated them on the following criteria:

1. Could this post work for ballroom dancing?

2. Could this post work for another hobby besides ballroom dance?

3. Would we love to hear Mr. T say this in person if we were ever moping around?  

Yes, yes, and you bet your Mohawk... YES!  

Whether you're reading this as a dancer, a nurse practitioner, or someone that can really appreciate a good pep talk, Mr. T has you covered.  So far, he has consistently demonstrated the picture perfect mentality to learning... anything, and we hope that is as evident to you when you finish this.  

These are the 10 Commandments of Mr. T we came up with.  

Commandment #1 

Commandment 1 Thoughts:  You can make excuses, or you can make progress - whether it's just you on the floor, or there are one hundred others.  

Commandment #2

Commandment 2 Thoughts:  Stopping to focus on what you missed is a sure-fire way to lose in the big picture.  Momentum is essential for any activity, and pushing past the small mistakes allows you to push further towards your biggest goals.

Commandment #3

Commandment 3 Thoughts:  A bad result is the gateway to a worse attitude.  Tearing down the results of those around you doesn't advance your position, and may very well keep you stuck in your current place. 

Commandment #4

Commandment 4 Thoughts:  Having the right perspective is so important in all phases in life.  While everyone on Earth can find something positive and sound optimistic when they are winning, it's the losses that reveal your character, and the strength of your resolve.   

Commandment #5

Commandment 5 Thoughts:  There are those that have a "have to" mentality, and those with a "get to" mentality.  The "have to" crowd will rarely see the benefits that the "get to" people see in the same activity. 

Commandment #6

Commandment 6 Thoughts: The voice in your head can be scary, and the further you travel outside of your comfort zone, the scarier that voice will be.  Sometimes, you need to call the bluff of that inner critic and replace the chatter with something bolder like starting your sentence with, "No one will die if...".

Commandment #7

Commandment 7 Thoughts:  Find the bigger picture in everything you're setting out to improve on, and pour your heart into it. This helps to put the rest of the world into a better perspective. For Mr. T, as a cancer survivor, he's setting out to raise awareness and money for kids fighting the disease.  So his results on Dancing with the Stars are small in comparison to the heart behind his big picture. 

Commandment #8

Commandment 8 Thoughts:  Imagine if you could fast forward through the repetition of your endeavor, and hit the pause button on your greatest memories.   Fun has a funny way of doing that.  

Commandment #9

Commandment 9 Thoughts:  Having butterflies is normal, but admitting that you have them is, unfortunately, rare.  Sharing that you are nervous says that you're human, and that you care about doing a good job.  

Commandment #10

Commandment 10 Thoughts:  You are the star of your show.  The other competitors in your field are just part of the scenery.  You will always improve the fastest when you focus on your role.    

Final Thought

How important is a great mindset?  There's a reason why most accomplishments are accompanied by the expression "blood, sweat, and tears".

How many of those are a product of winning the mental game?

We've all seen people who have wasted away their physical gifts.  There are some that either lack the motivation to push further, or those that deviate from their talent more than they participate in it.  Without a great mindset, talented people are nothing more than falling stars. 

Those people don't push themselves enough to sweat.  They are too cautious and satisfied to bleed.  Ultimately, the talent-rich will not have invested enough of their effort to shed a single tear.  They'll decide that their talent is transferable, pivot, and move on. 

Yes, "blood, sweat, and tears" are the byproduct of someone like Mr. T.  Someone who understands that winning begins with a great mindset, and I pity the fool that disagrees with that. 

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