If you’ve spent any amount of time with or around me you’re well aware of my quote obsession. I have journals filled with endless words of wisdom from authors, poets, musicians, yogis, teachers- you name it. Social media (my guilty pleasure) is a great source for finding and recycling these timeless words. And for good reason. They are inspirational, uplifting and reach a broad audience. When I find something that lights me up, I definitely want to share in hopes that someone will feel the same. Sometimes this works against me as I scour around in an attempt to find inspiration. When really, I should be letting inspiration find me.
My long flight from Washington last night had me reading ORIGIN magazine cover to cover and highlighting interviews and passages from our world’s most powerful women. (shakti power!) Spiritual teacher Caroline Myss was asked, “What are the things that make you feel most alive?” Her answer: cultivating original thought.
Hmph, now there is a thought to ponder. With the amount of people in this world, the technology, the change and rapid growth, how can we ever really reach original thought? I have thousands of thoughts a day that I’m sure other’s have had before me. But letting my mind mull over Caroline’s answer, I came to the conclusion that original thought only comes through experience
I am not John Muir. I haven’t lived in the forest but I love to post a photo of Hawaii followed by his words praising nature. I am no where close to being enlightened like Buddha, but I love his teachings and sharing his gentle approach to living. I can share others thoughts and introspect but without firsthand experience how much depth do they hold?
Developing original thought takes more work for sure. The payoff is that expressing from your personal experiences and authenticity sparks new awareness in your own mind and life. You aren’t merely clicking the “share” button on your screen. You are digging deeper, coming face to face with insecurities, vulnerabilities, and the things we like to keep hiding in the dark corner.
I can appreciate that not everyone wants to express these emotions or ideas out loud (but how beautiful is it when you can through outlets like music, paint, dance, photography, and writing?!) Even if outward expression isn’t your intention, you can still bring awareness to the notion that every moment you are perceiving something that only you have seen. Your experience is entirely your own and sacred. How can you incarnate and share that (if you so choose to share 😉 )or learn something new about yourself? This is my personal work for my writing. Trusting that my own words are enough to articulate the feeling and emotion I experience (and using quotes as an enhancements to those feelings not as a crutch) I’m not hoping that my words will make it to your “quote journal” but rather that a post like this will embolden you to work creatively from a space of true intelligence. Your Own.
