Hello Listeners. :)
I find that I let my mind wander quite a bit during my lunch break. I think of many things: people, places, nouns in general. Today, I inadvertently reminded myself of why I love to write. It's not just because I'm good at it. It's not just because I love to tell stories. It's not even because it's expected of me.
In truth, it's because writing is a part of me, and be there hurricane or drought, famine or feast, I always have writing as a haven. I've been blessed because I've had the privilege to have my go-to-haven cultivated by educators I admire as well as authors I've read. The latter are people that I may never meet (as most of them are either aged or dead), but whom have sent their private and public thoughts out into the world, like ships onto the sea.
So, why do I bring all of this up? Well, it's because my mind's eye reminded me of something today.
It is easy to doubt your gifts, to not see what everyone obviously sees in you,to discount your gifts' value. Moreover, it's almost more terrible to keep your gifts to yourself should you let doubt or hard knocks (some things ARE OUT OF our CONTROL) set in. Not giving all of you could be a combination of a few things: fear, bad timing, lack, no encouragement, whatever. But to keep your gift to yourself is like saying, "I have the pearl of great price....SHIIIINY...and I'm going to keep it as a make-believe hacky-sack because someone out there may not appreciate it as much as I do...or misuse/ damage it."
Sometimes I will try to write, and the personal obstacles in my day will make me go, "WHY CAN'T I PHRASE ANYTHING?!" It'll make me feel...it'll make me feel...
**sighs**
It'll make me feel, and that in and of itself may be the deal-maker, or the deal-breaker.
My Dad used to remind my family that feelings are fickle things, and while they are genuine, one moment can change a FEELING from being a 1 to being a 1000. So I'll FEEL, but if I don't move on from what I FEEL, my ideas, my talents, nee' my DESTINY may hang in the balance.
It's a blessing if you are surrounded with people who encourage you to be your best self, especially when you feel that goal is temporarily out of your reach . We all have up-and-down days and moments, but to doubt all of it, to let fear constrict and suck all of the life out of what you know in your core that you can do is to cheat yourself, to sit on your purpose, to deny someone else the privilege of having an example of being completely true to one's self. To set people free with your gift is not an option if you have the ability; it's an obligation to the nations . Be it music or numbers or the ability to smile so brightly that you turn someone's life around, don't let the roadblocks make you pass by YOUR opportunity to shine...especially in those moments when you have to shine while your heart is breaking. Keep pushing.
Yeah, that's what I thought about while I ate my chicken soup and oatmeal raisin cookie at The Daily Grind today...just in case you haven't heard from me in a while. ;)
Keeping the Faith and Keeping It Real,
aM
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