Recognizing Your Uniqueness
Everyone is unique, and everyone has something special to offer the world. Just walk outside on any given day and observe the variety of plant and animal life around you. Two birds may appear to be similar, but they're not the same. A saguaro cactus and an aloe plant share certain attributes, but they are not identical. Even though identical twins look alike, their inner experiences differ and so do their personalities.
“Creative energy is a constant and we can always tap into it … It is our resistance to our creativity that causes us to equate it with suffering. It is important to remember that ‘effort’ and ‘suffering’ are two different things.” —
Your right brain, the hemisphere where creativity resides, is a tireless worker. It churns out ideas twenty-four hours a day, every day of your life, even while you're asleep. People don't always utilize their full creative potential, however, because they're creatures of habit. If something has worked in the past, they tend to keep following that pattern because it requires less effort — and besides, who wants to mess with success? They begin to approach living according to an internal formula: If they do A, then B and C all the way through Z, they can pretty much predict the result. Even though it may feel boring, it's safe.
Let Friends Inspire You
You might not consider yourself to be unique, but ask a trusted friend what she thinks. Your friends probably see sides of you that you don't even realize exist. Perhaps you're trying so hard to be what you think you should be that you overlook what's special and wonderful about you.
Let's take the example of a woman who creates beautiful throw pillows and wall hangings. When her friend complimented her work and asked if her creations were for sale, the designer modestly said, “Oh, I just do them for myself.” The friend insisted that the designer sell her one. Soon afterward, a mutual friend bought a wall hanging and another friend invited the woman to display her work at a conference. A reporter saw the pillows there and wrote an article about them in the local newspaper. With a little help from her friends, this woman is gaining a greater appreciation for her creativity and the joy it brings to others.
Stretch your imaginations and inspire one another. By combining your energies and ideas with those of your friends, each person creates more than she might have alone.
Your Talents List
Make a list of ten things you really enjoy doing. Don't think about whether you do them well, whether you earn money from these endeavors, or whether anyone else approves or disapproves. Maybe you love to cook, or perhaps gardening is your thing. You might have a neighbor with a special talent for making people feel welcome who acts as the unofficial greeter for newcomers to the community.
“Almost all of us fear our potentials … Generally, fear's message is that we're not yet ready to be, do or have what we want. The way out of this dilemma is through a change of mind about ourselves — not simply the gaining of technical skills or textbook knowledge.” — Marsha Sinetar,
Examine your list. These are the places where your creativity abides. But if you're like many people, you may not devote enough time to doing what you love. Instead, you might let other people's needs, job responsibilities, and the demands of everyday living take precedence. As you look over your list, imagine ways you can give these things a bigger place in your life. Maybe you can leave the dishes in the sink and spend an hour writing a poem instead. When you give yourself permission to follow your bliss, as Joseph Campbell phrased it, your creativity will blossom.
