An Odyssey of Creativity and Wisdom: Day 3

one thousand words daily

Day 3

“Hope in essence is birthed from miracles that have yet to escape the confines of the occupied mind, resurrected from the spirit to preserve life and resurfaces within the smiles of the future generations we raise.”  ~ S.M. Black

               The rainbow, as I learned when my mother converted from Buddhism to “Born Again Christian,” at Mt. Erie Missionary Baptist Church was a sign from God himself, a promise to Noah and his family that HE would not hurt the Earth in that manner, as in The Great Biblical Flood.  When I think about rainbows, many things come to mind.  I think about Leprechauns, a big pot of gold.  I’ve been within the end of one and never experienced any pot of gold. I think of the breakfast cereal Lucky Charms.  I think of when I was a small child and my mother, before she left, used to turn on the hose and lift it high so that I could see the rainbow. 

               This is a picture I sent my son after he sent me a picture of a rainbow he took with his mother’s camera.  When I see rainbows I think of him.  His middle name partly means rainbow in Hawaiian.  I have been to Maui once and there were very beautiful rainbows there.  Although my son does not live with me right now and although he may be moving further from my ability to visit, there are things which make our bond strong.  

               All in all, when I see a rainbow in from of me, I think of new life and I automatically think of this faith-filled substance we sometimes neglect or often forget called Hope. What does Hope look like to you?  Does it cost anything to simply… hope?  Does it hurt to hope? If you think hope hurts, then why?  How can hoping for something good, positive or greater than any current state of things be a bad thing?  I feel as if Disappointment and the knife that hypothetically stabs folks in the back are two of the sharpest knifes in existence.

               Vision is a gift rarely given, however when we can envision the positive result through some stretch of time of defining action, we can clearly see the outlines of hope there on the bigger picture, somewhere. Completing actions within a plan or getting oneself on the path towards some change we can see are some ways in which we tend to find ourselves getting hopeful.  As long as we make some moves, it is then when we then know and fully conceptualize that we are or can be on the path towards something great.

“Hope resides on wings of the willing. How willing are you to invite and evoke hope?” ~ S.M. Black

getting shot down

               There is nothing wrong with having belief in what others might deem mediocre, outlandish and even impossible. Let’s take into account that will be instances when no matter what the feat, idea, dream, hope, invention or story, some just chose not to believe you or believe in you.  Perhaps it was an event from the past which they hold against you or perhaps they themselves lack the faith and the positivity to see anything good coming from you.  Is it your fault, no, we are judgmental as humans by nature.  It could simply be that yes, life is unpredictable yet it is very possible that the negative party or individual simply lacks vision. 

               For us to fit into the carefully crafted criterion which makes another person feel comfortable sometimes can be impossible.  It is literally impossible to be responsible for another’s expectations and happiness.  As I was reminded by a simple post by a friend Cara Luhring that “We are responsible for our own happiness,” and that is very true.  We as humans oftentimes build mental, non-physical barriers inside of our mind which prohibits the growth and sprouting of such ideas, hopes & dreams. We often do this to protect ourselves from future heartache, confusion, even from responsibility and decision making.

               Perhaps a dream of theirs was killed, they are now perceived a “Realist,” and just wants you to see things from the “Realistic” “Plausible,” point of view.  I am, in no way, making excuses for this type of negative behavior and I am not reinforcing it, just simply throwing some dots out there for you to connect.  This “psyching out,” of sorts can seem as a deterrent, perhaps throwing you off from your initial goal by making you think that you are not capable or that the task is impossible to reach, at fault for some action you had no control over, or a danger or “in the way,” of having something done the “Right way,” whatever that means.  I have found that looking at problems through different lenses and offering new solutions often stops future issues or problems to occur.   Sometimes it is because they were once hurt in some way when an important plan did not materialize and perhaps the breaking of promises upon them has something to do with their mistrust.

               It is literally impossible to be responsible for another’s expectations and happiness.  As I was reminded yesterday by a simple post by a friend Cara Luhring that “We are responsible for our own happiness,” and that is very true.  Within our being, we hold the foundations to our own happiness especially since we are the navigators of our own emotions.  Don’t take this the wrong way, for we can be influenced by what others say, how they say it as well as the timing in which they chose to say it but… we have total control over how we choose to deal with what they are saying.  Straight up though, when someone you care about, or is close to you puts you down or shoots you down using negative language to any degree, even if from a co-worker or supervisor, it can hurt and cut deep. Back to the “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me,” mantra I used to try to recite to assholes as a little boy in elementary school.  Did I say that when the kid called me a Nigger at Palo Verde in Kindergarten? I wonder. 

               What we can choose to be responsible for is how we treat others, what we teach our children, the hopes we instill in them whether intentional or non-intentional as well as the love we show to others.  Those positive memories you leave with people whether you know it or not, help to influence how they deal with others as well as how they treat others.  Since we as humans are creatures of habit, let us develop some good healthy habits which the generations below us automatically swoop up to nurture and protect.  Let us be that listening voice, that shoulder to cry on or that catalyst in a positive decision leading another to some type of peace, understanding and/or feeling of freedom.