As we learn to think and speak in new patterns, wonderful new possibilities open up.
The human being, unlike any other creature on this planet, has the gift of a creative mind. We can and do create our own life experience. However, the vast majority of us have not learned to develop this natural talent into a skill. So, what is the difference between talent and skill? Talent is a natural tendency or ability towards doing something. Skill is the outcome of training and practice. Raw talent is helpful: for instance, humans have a raw talent for walking upright, and even that takes a little practice at first. However, if we take the time to educate and train ourselves, and then practice with it, walking upright can be transformed into a creative and beautiful art form such as dance, or gymnastics, track and field, etc; a deliberate and focused use off the natural talent, walking upright.
Now let’s apply this analogy to the idea if how our life experience gets created. We have a natural raw talent to create our experience of life, in fact we are doing it all the time, but in most cases it isn’t deliberate and focused, therefore it gets created in a way that is scattered and haphazard. Sort of like wandering around aimlessly and hoping to turn up someplace worthwhile. Well, everybody has to be someplace, so we do turn up, but when we arrive, all too often we look around and say, “What’s this? This is not where I want to be.” So we wander off once again, hoping all the while that we’ll get to someplace better …….. and the cycle continues, and the world goes round and round and round.
Fortunately with each new departure and each new arrival we learn, so the journeys are not without value. And then one blessed day we have learned enough to imagine a better route. We ask our selves, “What if I planed the trip, visualized the destination, choose the sights and experiences along the way, set some goals. Might I then learn what I want to learn, see what I want to see and arrive at a the place of peace, beauty, love and prosperity that I have been longing for? Yes this is the way we create our life experience: by making the choices that support our dream and progressing steadily and confidently in the direction of our dreams. Remember, what happens “to” us and around us is not nearly so important as how we respond, relate, and react to these events.
“You have your colors, you have your brushes, paint paradise and walk right in.”
-Nikos Kazantzakis
What do you suppose Nikos was expressing in the above statement? Here’s how I interpret the metaphor: We all have a rich color pallet in our minds, we call it imagination, and each of us mix those colors in our own unique way. From these colors we create our thoughts, ideas, dreams and visions. But how do we color the outer world with our imagination? With our brushes of course! Our brushes are our hands, arms, legs, voice and body, the physical tools with which we can paint our nonphysical imaginings onto the landscape of reality. What a wonderful design! We can us our beautiful brushes to: paint, sculpt, dance, sing, work and play. Most importantly we can take our colors and brushes and put them to work in the service of humanity. We can in fact paint paradise for ourselves and others and walk right in. We all have been blessed with the ability to take charge of your lives and be responsible for ourselves, in this and each new moment; never again a victim. Forgive, forget, and let go of the past. You are the creative artist, enjoy your work, paint paradise in your future, and walk right in!
© 2002 Rick Nichols
Rick Nichols, an expert on Human Potential, is a storyteller, author and international speaker. Rick inspires people to a new level of thinking about who they are, what they’ve got, and how to more successfully and effectively bring themselves to the world. His programs result in higher self-esteem, improved interpersonal relationships, greater synergy and enhanced creativity.
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