Dr. Susan Biali

Dr. Susan is not only a doctor, wellness expert, life coach, and speaker but she's also a professional flamenco dancer.

If today were my last day on Earth and I could share 500 words of brilliance with the world, here are the important things I'd want to pass along to others...

From Doctor to Dancer: Never Give Up On Your Dream

I grabbed my wet towel, and wiped away the sweat that stung my eyes. Outside, a car drove slowly past, kicking up a cloud of desert dust. The driver peered into the little laundry room, curious about the loud Spanish music that poured out through the small grimy window.

That September, the hottest month of the year in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, I had lost my dance studio, had no legal papers, and didn't have a single gig. All I had was the unimaginable heat of that tiny room, where I danced for hours as the machines pumped hot fumes into the suffocating space. I simply refused to give up. It's incredible to me now, how tenaciously I hung on to my vision of performing flamenco in my beloved adopted country, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Things really do get darkest before the dawn. Just before the tide changes, it'll seem like your dream will never come true. But if you have that burning belief in your heart, don't let go of it. Even if there isn't another soul in the world who encourages you, don't let it go.

I believe that God puts your dream in your heart, and knows that you can do it. What more encouragement do you need? I still had many moments of tears and fear, and fervent prayers along the way. Everyone thought I was nuts - why eke out an existence in a cockroach-infested condo in the desert, when I could live it up on a doctor's income, if I just went home? I couldn't. It would have been abandoning my very soul to do so.

Hang in there. Take the next step. Get through one more day. Don't be afraid if it doesn't make any sense to anyone - in fact, it may not even make sense to you!

When I "escaped" to Mexico in 2004, I had already come a long way. Most of my life I'd tried to please other people, which meant over-achieving academically, and becoming a doctor. During the second year of my Emergency Medicine residency, I finally admitted to myself that I simply didn't want to do the job - ever. I became depressed to the point of being suicidal, and eventually took a stress leave, to save my own life.

I went to Cuba, where my true self finally began to speak. As I watched a troupe of salsa dancers performing on stage, my "self" told me clearly: "I want to be a dancer".

I resigned from my residency, and signed up for salsa classes. I was soon performing and giving workshops as a professional salsa dancer, and by the age of 33, I became a professional Spanish flamenco dancer. I still worked as a general doctor, but couldn't stand that job, either. I understand now that I simply wasn't allowed to "stop" there - life had very different plans for me.

When something isn't working, don't try to talk yourself into a situation that doesn't resonate with your soul. Ask: "What am I really supposed to be doing?" You'll get the answer. It may seem totally bizarre, but one day you'll see it for the brilliant miracle that it is.

Each of us is absolutely unique. I see it every day in my coaching work. When I ask someone about their dream for their life, I've never gotten the same answer twice.

Listen to that "crazy" dream in your heart. Take the next tiny step toward it, whatever that may be. Step by courageous step, you will live your way into the life of your dreams, and accompanied by a waterfall of miracles that will blow your mind.

Three months after those laundry room rehearsals, I stepped onto a stage at Rosewood's Las Ventanas, one of the top hotels on the planet. Sean Penn sat off to the left, and the owners of the Lakers cheered and waved lighters in the air, a few rows back. Behind me, two world-class guitarists, Guitarras de Luna, strummed the opening chords, and I began to dance. Are you ready for another miracle? They're the artists on the CD that I rehearsed to, in that scorching laundry room.

Believe in your dreams. The more improbable they seem, the more likely they will come to fruition. And the journey will bring you more joy and miracles than you could ever imagine.