Ever listened closely to the voice that comes after your inner critic finishes waxing eloquent about all the things you’re “not” and “can’t do?”
Have you picked up on the lies of your negative self-talk? Or those of negative people sharing their controversial two cents?
Are you able to pick apart the lies of the enemy of your soul, in whatever manner they come?
There’s a little girl in each of us and she has a question for me and for you: “But, what did I say?”
Now, I know we say many things we don’t mean. Like, for years I said I wanted to be a doctor. While it was true I loved hospitals and the medical profession, my artsy heart wasn’t fully in it. And I’m guessing my med school entrance exam scores and science GPA told the real story.
But, why wasn’t I telling the real story? Because when I said I wanted to be a doctor, my mother’s eyes lit up. Yet, whenever I mentioned any of my artistic or creative dreams, she looked more worried than anything. Today, she’s fully behind my creative endeavors. Though even if she weren’t, I’d still be doing them.
I finally got tired of giving my all at work every day, yet hearing the little girl inside say, “But, what about me?” I neglected how much she loved to write and tried to pacify her by reading everything I could get my hands on. In the years I wrote plays and skits at church, she was truly in her element and quieted down as she basked in seeing her art live.
Some years, I would journal for a time, write a few songs, and jot down pages and pages of ideas and plans. Again, she’d be satisfied, but it wasn’t long lived. My creative heart hadn’t had the chance to go out with me into the world every day, and she wasn’t having it any longer!
What about the little girl — or boy, for my male readers — in you? Are you doing anything resembling your purpose to satisfy longings of the little one who lived through you before you grew up? Perhaps you aren’t positioned to pursue your dreams full time, so you have to fit them in after your 9 to 5, like me. Maybe your day job finances your ability to do what you love.
Unfortunately, many people are like I was. Scratching the itch from time to time, but otherwise suppressing the voice that wants to do what will make her — your — heart sing. Allow me to encourage you, you don’t want her to go silent. You want her to sing through you. Paint. Draw. Write. Make pottery. Model. Do stand-up comedy. Whatever it is.
And it’s not just about her, or you. It’s about the people around you who will experience your heart because of what your produce through it. Our inherent, heartfelt endeavors add to the world’s beauty. Make your beauty mark today.