“A quotation is a handy thing to have about, saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself, always a laborious business.” 
~ A.A. Milne

Do you ever have a hard time finding the right words to express yourself? Have you ever found yourself reaching for an old saying instead of thinking something over in the moment? When is a cliché or platitude more useful than an original thought?

So much of what we pass along as commonly accepted wisdom comes in the form of memorable short phrases or quotes that stand the test of time. Often times we don’t even give these words a second thought, because we’ve heard them so many times and they roll off our tongue so easily.

Every culture, every family, and every community has it favorites. Witty words of wisdom can serve to empower us, or hinder us with subconsciously limiting beliefs. They become memetic mantras of meaning that are passed along from generation to generation.

“A penny saved is a penny earned.” “He who laughs last, laughs best.” “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.” The supply of phrases like this are virtually endless, forming a thread of thought through every society.

Nowadays we think of memes as funny or shocking images with words superimposed over them that get passed around online. But long before the term was coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976 these verbal “old saws” were one of the fundamental ways that ideas and values were passed around.

(by the way, how many of you remember the “All Your Base Are Belong To Us” craze of 1998? It became obvious early on that this new Internet medium was an ideal method of passing around silly or not so silly ideas.)

Wise quotes or words of wisdom can often be contradictory, which gives us an even more valuable opportunity to think for ourselves as we sort out the conundrums. Is “he who hesitates” really lost? Or is it wiser to “look before you leap”?

I think that one reason these old sayings catch on is because they are such elegant ways of expressing a thought or feeling. Paulo Coelho talks about the difference between elegance and arrogance, pointing out that the former arouses respect and love, while the latter attracts hate and envy.

The simplicity of a succinct saying is indeed elegant in its pared-down minimalism, yet when wielded dismissively or in the spirit of rudeness can come across as the height of arrogance. But often a long-winded explanation is more clearly expressed with a truism, it’s the spirit behind it that counts.

It’s fun to examine the sayings that are stuck in our heads, and unpack how they’ve served us in our lives. Maybe you’ve got a few ‘old bromides’ bouncing around between your ears that are worth looking at literally to find the underlying belief?

I was driving with my 10-year-old daughter Geneva recently, and she was doing her best in her inquisitive way to stump me with a series of questions. I teased her by saying I was too old to know anything anymore, and that one of the benefits of aging is that our minds get emptier as we go along.

So I made a game out of it, and told her that I had gradually replaced all of my knowledge with quotes and old sayings, so that I would have one for any question she could ask.

“Why are forests so shady?” Because “the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “Why do I have to go to school?” Because “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” “Can I have dessert when we get home?” “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Before long I had her totally bamboozled, and I realized that there is probably a platitude for every problem. So much of life is like a Zen koan, the mysteries of life seldom reveal their meaning until they’ve been lived through.

Something to ponder on your Monday morning dance of life! May your words of wisdom ring true from your heart and and let your intuition and intellect separate the wheat from the chaff in your basket of beliefs. Empowered and elegant is the way to go, it all starts with a word!

Much love and happy grooving in your week ahead!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine

Dance First Member Spotlight – Sofiah Thom and International  Temple Body Day !

This week’s Dance First Member Spotlight shines on Sofiah Thom and her upcoming International Temple Body Day experience! Many of you probably already know of Sofiah and her great work running the Danyasa Eco-Retreat Center in Dominical, Costa Rica. She’s a well-loved mover and shaker on the global conscious movement circuit, with frequent travels and appearances at festivals and gatherings around the world.

You can experience her transformative presence live from anywhere in the world during a Temple Body Day experience, an online immersion in her transformative work. This is an online community event designed for women who want to discover their divine feminine, and learn how to discover your body as a temple.

Sofiah says: “ Your presence is Golden. You belong here, in your Temple Body, in this Collective, and in the Rise of the Divine Feminine. It is time to feel at home in the sanctuary of your body and unlock the potential and beauty that lives within. Recognize Yourself as an instrument of the divine. Creative spirit moves through you. You are here to shine your unique gifts. We invite you…to get out of your head and into your body…to quiet the mind and hear the whispers of wisdom from within…to open yourself to the transformative power of love…and know yourself as sacred and holy, a divine temple to be worshiped. The world needs the magnificence that shines within you.”

Sofiah, creator of The Temple Body Arts™ School of Sacred Sensuality and Dance is an embodiment coach, author, sacred movement artist, tantrika and entrepreneur committed to guiding women to connect with their brilliance. She’s the co-author of The Path of the Priestess Book: Discover Your Divine Purpose. Alongside her husband Brendan, she co-founded the Envision Festival in Costa Rica, and co-founded Danyasa Eco-Retreat – their sanctuary for Living Artfully in the beautiful beach town of Dominical.

You are invited to participate in a full day of events on November 9th including dance and movement practices, guided meditation, expressive healing arts and live discussions with feminine leaders on topics around your temple body and liberation. There will be a Q&A session with Sofiah and her visionary sisters broadcast live from her studio in Costa Rica, recordings of all of the day’s live activities, eight inspiring interviews delivered directly to your inbox, new Mudra Mantras, community connection, and more.

This is a call for women everywhere to step into your YES and Discover Your Body as a Temple!

Learn more and register at TempleBodyDay.com