Andrew's Daily Notes

There are two ways to teach: We either teach our students a system in which they will always seek our guidance, or we can teach a context in which they will have the confidence to find the way on their own.

Much gets talked about pedagogy in the dance world. It is good to continually work to teach the children correctly. But there should quickly be other pursuits. Namely, working towards allowing the children to discern their own way. With the correct foundation, they will be rooted in values and tradition appropriately, and given to expression and experimentation rightly.

Without good pedagogy learners will never grow into heutagogy (learner-guided learning). But eliminating all pedagogy for the sake of promoting heutagogy is an equally foolish path, leaving learners unrooted. Better to give the children what they need and support them as they grow into life-long learners, finding the way on their own.

How do you bring people together, when we’re all trying to survive? How do you offer peace, when all around is strife? How do you give hope, when all around is sorrow? How do you give life, when all around is death?

Love. In the little, simple, personal things.
Love. In the sharing of provision and possibility and opportunity.
Love. In the hopes and dreams and future means.
Love. Such that every word, every choice, every glance, and every thought, is fueled by an unquenchable desire for a heart to be mended, a life to blossom, an offense to be forgiven, a weapon to be put down, a voice to be heard, and for…

Love to thrive.

I will not be in shock,
When corruption shows its face.

For there is an entire people who believe this world (and everyone in it) is there’s for the taking.

I will not be in shock,
When lies are seen for what they are.

For there are those who don’t believe in the need for truth, let alone its value.
There are those who falsely believe that hiding the truth will protect them, or others.
And there are those whose memories fail them to no fault of their own.

I will not be in shock,
When miscommunication turns into strife.

For there are those who desire to sow the seeds of strife for their own benefit.
And we all are moving too fast to make sure that what we say is being heard as we mean it.

I will not be in shock.

I will be in sadness.
When our prophets have been silenced,
When those with knowledge are found timid,
When those with strength have been deceived,
When those with courage have been left to fight alone,
And we have still not learned.

Everyone has a lane. Some of us are happy where we are. Some of us know the lane we’re in and want to be in another one. Either way the lane that we’re in is the one that we’re in. Opportunities may arise that will allow us to change our lane, but there is discernment here. One key challenge to watch out for is how other people view you and your lane.

The voice of others in our lives can be powerful, regardless of whether or not it is truthful. Guard your heart. Check what you’re hearing from others on the outside with what the still small voice is telling you on the inside. Check them all against what you believe to be true. Try not to let someone put you in a lane that’s not yours or keep you from a lane that is yours. The world is in need of you, in the lane you were designed to be in. Stay the course. Everyone will be better off for it.

The baseline is the minimum expectation. It’s where we start from. It’s the foundation upon which we build. Different people have different baselines. Example: People who are considered “intense” often have a higher baseline of focus and energy than others.

Cultural expectations set baselines. How much focus, energy, knowledge, engagement, etc, is actually expected from people in a community? In order to land a job? Or succeed at a particular school? The baseline is the answer.

If we want our culture to change, we have to shift the baseline. How people relate to one another as the baseline shifts is important, so no one feels left aside. Rather, encouragement, grace, and support are key, for everyone to be found together as everyone grows together. But, before the actual growth can happen, we have to shift our baseline.

Some things are better kept simple.

Complexities will arise to attempt to muddy the waters, cause confusion, or make us forget the simple truths.

Simple truths like…

Love can conquer all,
There is good and evil in the world,
Lying isn’t good,
and
Every life has inherent value.

We would be benefited by reminding ourselves of the simple things, and keeping them simple. There’s enough complexity trying to keep us from the simple truths that can change the world for good.

Some tools exist with a particular purpose that sets their tone. The most obvious here is a weapon, who’s sole purpose is destruction. One can argue the use of a weapon as either offensive or defensive, but there is more agreement that the result of the use of a weapon is the destruction of the target.

Meanwhile a shelter is a fashioned tool that first protects the inhabitants from nature. It is a allows for life. It is hard to change the fundamental purpose of a shelter. It can be simple or extravagant, functional or luxurious. But, once the shelter springs a leak it has failed at protecting its inhabitants from the rain.

There is a third set of tools that while having an initial intent in being designed now sit as neutral objects. Take the knife as an example. The knife is considered the most versatile survival tool. It’s initial purpose is to cut. There are now many kinds of knife blades designed to efficiently cut different kinds of objects, but the basic knife is simply meant to cut.

Here’s the thing. We all understand that a knife can also be a weapon. What decides whether a knife is a productive tool or a destructive tool is the intent of the user.

A knife resting on a table is a neutral object. Pick it up and the knife is under the rule of the hand holding it. The knife can be pressed into the service of preparing food for cooking, or it can be used for hunting. It can be used to make carvings, or set at the end of a rifle as a bayonet. The knife itself is simply designed to cut. What it cuts is up to us.

As I’ve grown up I’ve found myself continually surprised by how many things I have in front of me to do, and how much time I think I have to do them. There never seems to be enough time. Sometimes I feel continually behind, then other periods I find that everything gets done at just the right time.

I don’t know what the difference between the moments in life where I feel completely overwhelmed and those that breeze by effortlessly is. It’s not like the amount of work has changed. Nor is it that my general disposition has changed. If there is anything, it’s that I don’t think I can actually do what’s been given to me as work.

This brings up two things. One, discernment as to whether or not what is before you is yours. Two, is asking for help. If work has been given to you it is likely yours to be responsible for, but not necessarily yours to do. It could be delegated to someone who knows how to do it, it could be used to teach someone else how to do it, or it could simply be for you to witness. If the work is actually yours to do, but you don’t have the capacity to get it done, then it is time to ask for help. Help might be an evil word in a world that idolizes individual achievement. However, the truth is that even that which we envision as an individual pursuit is actually the product of a series of relationships in the end.

So if the work is delegated, used to teach, or shared, wouldn’t there be enough time? After all, aren’t there more people in the world than there is work to be done?