#safi thomas

PARENTAL NEGLECT

Our contributions to this world and our involvement in any aspect must be active not passive. People often think that their existence warrants the moniker of "participation." Yet participation requires decisive, strategic and productive action towards a set of goals, not mere existence within the framework.

HEROES

Leadership must be tempered by humility, empathy, understanding and love, or we run the risk of being insensitive to the wider scope or bigger picture...the needs of the community.

Resistance is the antithesis of resolution. We cannot find peace if we are purposely resistant to peoples genuine attempts at amelioration. Our willfull tethering to our negativity is what denies us resolve. In order to garner positive results we must have a desire to practice openness, humility and honesty. The problem with us is that we just don't want to be "wrong" so we fixate on being "right." Which then diminishes our capacity for growth. Always ask, "What was my contribution to this conundrum?" "How can I resolve this with dignity, respect and consideration for all involved, not just myself?" I find that people just want to be right more than they want to acknowledge the truth. This presents a polarized view of situations. We should stop trying to be right and just be open to cultivating honest discourse and resolve.

We must be cognizant of the delusions we manufacture in an attempt to appease our predilections. We rant and we rave and we whine under the distinct premise that we will gain attention or favor. In essence, we live the colloquialism of all the world being a stage. Now, some are better thespians than others but the fact remains that they are in fact "acting." Putting on a show for whomever wishes to watch their performance. They change clothes, scenes and masks yet the lie remains intact. So much so, that they oft do not remember they are acting. They think it's real. They are so far disconnected from their true selves that they shudder at the thought of living differently than they already do. The architecture of their delusion is so intricate and multilayered that escape is improbable. In the end they leave this world a mere shimmer of who they once were. Do not be "that" person. Cultivate and preserve your true self at all costs and encourage others to do the same.

We think we are owed something because of our age. Ageism is the pinnacle of our benightedness as an older generation. We think we are owed respect, owed recognition, owed remuneration and yet conversely expect the younger generation to earn our respect, earn our recognition and earn remuneration. It's quite paradoxical but also typical of us as men. It is important to leave something of value for the next generation of dancers. It starts by making something stable, loving, and intelligent for yourself. We must understand our duty to the next generation. Who they are is what we made them. So instead of being parents complaining about your children, look in the mirror.