The Power of Positivity

And Dancing in the Snow

Image used with the permission of Gurdeep Pandher

A little over a year ago, I was struggling with caregiving issues surrounding my (then) 94-year-old mom’s failing health. It had been a hectic month, and, as a result, I had been feeling cranky, frustrated, and just plain burned out. I remember coming home, kicking off my shoes, and collapsing onto my bed with a cracker of a headache. Instead of sleeping, I began scrolling, (as you do), and stumbled across an Instagram post by a man named Gurdeep Pandher. It was a video that featured him performing a traditional Bhangra dance in -45 degree weather near his home in the Yukon.

I had never heard of Gurdeep Pandher, and watching the video made me smile. Because who was this smiley guy? Who was this man in the bright orange turban whose face radiated joy?

I watched the video again, and then once more, and then I showed it to my husband, and we watched it together… twice. (You can find it here.)

I have since learned Gurdeep is many things: a dance instructor, a positivity ambassador, and probably most importantly, a human conduit for cross-cultural connection. He’s been known to perform Bhangra to Scottish bagpipes ; he dances with the very young and the very old, with politicians, and with soldiers as a way to promote inclusion and diversity within the Canadian Armed Forces. Gurdeep truly…