My daily quote calender item yesterday
When this was unveiled on my daily calender yesterday I thought how relevant it was to my own journey into creative writing and the struggle to allow myself to be freely expressive. Growing up in a culture where self expression is not always appreciated, in fact often winced at, is one of the dynamics at play when we are unable to allow ourselves that which we truly want and should authentically be.
In maturity, we also often realise that when we honour our values and expressions, it does not hinder others but helps them. We all have our gurus. I know of a number of guiding lights who have supported me through many a dark moment, to name but a few I would choose Carl Jung, Deepak Chopra, Eric Maisel, M. Scott Peck…there are many more, including many of my fellow bloggers here at wordpress and other sites.
What happens when we don’t honour our talents?
Ernest Hemingway’s short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro is about regret. Everything is sour, from the putrid, gangrenous leg to the mindset of the dying writer who is the main character and who mourns all the stuff he put off from writing because the time wasn’t quite right and he would ‘do it sometime’. The lesson is about procrastination and making excuses, allowing distractions to creep in and negative self-pestering to win out. To be sure, as Rollo May observed half a century ago, there may be resistance at first from those around you. But stay aware that people are acting from their own fear and suppressed creativity – push on while you gently cajole and inspire them to be the best they can be too. You will find transformation for yourself and others and a new vigour and joy for life. Self-suffocation is the most painful form of spiritual suicide. Don’t go there. Take inspiration from people who have turned their lives around, grasped their authentic selves, made meaning and found life. Here are some clips from Good Will Hunting, a lovely tale of redemption and love.
Subliminal Spaces 