My sheltered creativity

I sometimes find myself in strange places, triggering the feeling of not knowing where I am. It may give the sense of being lost or trapped to blissfully enjoy the peace and calmness of the surrounding environment. The leading emotion which has brought me to that place could be different, but still, it always pushes me to find a way out and ground myself into the present reality. Asking me how and why I got there will definitely offer a reasonable answer, but on the contrary, how to get out of that place will look like a significant challenge.

A stream of thoughts and feelings may appear and reappear, and neither of them will seem as a successful solution. It’s just like staying on the beach and waiting for each new wave to come with the hope that it will be good enough for riding. Eventually, you may find yourself just staying there and doing nothing apart from sensing each next touch of the waves, which sometimes could be stronger or gentle, or they might have hardly tapped your toes. And no, that hasn’t been a waste of time – the water has already helped you clear out your thoughts.

That “place”, whatever name you have given it, is nothing but a pure creation of your imagination. It’s real since you have made it feel real and there’s nothing and nobody in the world to make you see it differently. This place is both a prison and a shelter; an obstacle and a chance to fly. It’s all about how you perceive it. If you have been capable enough to lift the sea to make a shelter for yourself and it is real, then you have already created your perfect riding wave and it is also real. Just step out and give it a push to make it more exciting.

You have taken the right solution before settling yourself into that place since its other name is actually your escape and liberation. Even now if you hear your inner voice shouting - “No, it was not my choice to be isolated, neglected or rejected”, just think how long that same voice was shouting – “I need a change!” Then, your imagination has offered you the perfect place to make you get out of there. Your creative skills have built an enigma with an answer placed on the other side of the medal. You only need to turn and read it. 

Should you have consciously gone to that place with the idea for a little sweet escape and you have felt that it is real, then, it’s up to you to choose whether it will remain as a real dream or you will simply find a way to bring it into the present reality. A list, containing all steps and instructions, has long ago been carefully placed right on the other side of the medal. Should you still be wondering who has done this favour for you, the answer is already clear. Now think, being sheltered in a way is good, but living your dream sounds much better! 

Fear of giving

Exploring signs of life could be a real fascinating activity as far as those signs bring more and more meaning and value to what we would like to learn to take us further on the path of knowledge. Their dual nature, however, comes to teach us as well that what we see might not be at all what we would like to see, and that’s just their euphemistic way to soften the harshness of a given life experience. It’s always a mystery what could be hidden behind a certain message and reading it correctly is what will take us forward, instead of reading it the way that we like.

Having been poured recently with a huge number of “step out of your comfort zone” invitations, coming from all sorts of sources and directions, made me contemplate a bit on how comfortable actually the comfort zone is. Do we really feel comfortable there or we simply prefer to keep alive the illusion that we are safe at that very moment? Feeling comfortable is a condition of being well emotionally balanced and enjoying the abundance of all resources to have made us feel like that. This means we have quite a lot right at that moment.

On the contrary, the message says, what we are going to get will happen out of that zone and to make it even more lucrative it’s even called - magic. Staying in the comfort zone has never been meant for getting or aimlessly draining the resources which give the sense of security in our lives. That’s the right time for giving or learning how to give more. Thus, enjoying the comfort of the comfort zone, we are supposed to take all necessary actions to tackle our fears and above all the fear of giving, as only then we are safe enough to afford it.

To step out of our comfort zone is actually an invitation to start giving – to give something to ourselves or to the others and the spectrum is always wide enough to choose what. It’s not like getting rid of what we don’t need anymore or it’s not a big deal to do. Giving and overcoming the fear of giving is an action which will directly affect some or all of the resources which keep our emotional balance. That’s a challenge, but a challenge with a promise for a miracle. As for the miracle – that’s simply the increase of what we have already had as a resource.

Feeling uncomfortable, however, is not a sign that we have consciously stepped out of our comfort zone. It’s merely a sign that we have already run out of some or all of those resources which have kept our emotional balance. Thus, finding ourselves into the discomfort zone will bring no miracles and what’s more, we will be put in the position of giving twice more to restore the lost resources and get back to that uncomfortable comfort zone. That’s a consequence of not taking actions while peacefully occupying that same zone, but still a good learning activity as well.    

The point of pointless things

While working those days on a research, exploring the cultural aspect of an old tradition, in an attempt to understand the hidden meaning of why the people actually do it, I came across to a significant number of answers, stating “just because it has been done that way for ages”. I wasn’t able to see the point, why we should do something, if we do not understand its meaning or it has dramatically changed over the years and taken a completely different direction.

Thus, digging in the garden of the unknown and trying to find the point of something which at first sight may look pointless, I attracted some other people who were also struggling to find the point of everything they were doing, and what was more, not being able to see the point of anything in their life. Losing the connection with the point of doing something does not necessarily mean that you are desperate, but it’s a clear sign that you may need to redefine your goals. 

Doing something, whatever it might be, serves a concrete need of ours and it may vary in meaning and value for the different people. It could be pretty well conscious, having a definite goal and a roadmap for its achievement, while, on the other hand, it could be also vague and even unconscious, waiting for the right moment of our mental and emotional maturity to pop up and make us realise what and why we have been actually doing.

Therefore, not being able to see the point of what the other people do does not mean and make it pointless. It simply means that we are not on one and the same page and the key understanding the point is to tune in that exact part of their emotional world which feeds the necessity of doing what they do. The closer we get to the roots, the clearer the picture will be and for sure that will help us understand their position and reasons for taking these or those actions.

When it comes to the point of losing or not being able to see the point of what we personally do at a certain stage in our life, does not mean as well that it has lost its meaning. As far as those little things that occupy our mundane reality make us feel content and give us a reason to keep going, then it’s just fine. Should you sense whatever discomfort and the question “why” starts popping up quite often, then simply tune to the reasons and above all the emotions which make you ask it.

You may be surprised to find that our expectations are the most common reason for losing the point of what we have taken up as a challenge. We usually expect a quick and specific payback, being convinced that our expectations match exactly our needs. Our needs, however, will attract the right things, which are necessary to comfort them, not paying much attention to our desires. That’s the moment when you may call that thing pointless, but it actually has its profound point. 

Colouring darkness of life

I have always been fascinated by the idea to see life as a picture which has been carefully created by us. There’s nothing and nobody else to choose what and how to be displayed in that painting but ourselves. It’s entirely based on our imagination and willpower to add whatever shapes or elements we want, and further on to make them look real. Moreover, we don’t need the talent of an artist to create those images, but a great dose of patience, creativity and a firm belief in the positive outcome of our undertaking.

While the real artists need just a piece of white paper and a pencil to start sketching their pictures, the artists of life are only in possession of a small dark space somewhere in the Universe. It’s, however, more than enough to turn that little black spot into a wonderful creation. Artists of life are in fact the true explorers of darkness, being able to see abundance and beauty where the rest sees just nothing. Seeing nothing, though, sounds more convincing when it refers to the piece of white paper than to the small space of darkness.

The small space of darkness sharpens our attention and triggers our curiosity to find what might be out there. A stream of thousand images may run through our mind and none of them to match the real one. We can finally tune with what we want or hope to find, giving us some space for unexpected surprises. The real image can become distinct only when some action is taken, and it requires a careful deleting of the dark layers. Thus, gradually the picture will be getting clearer, giving us an idea of where we are heading to.

Taking off the layers of unknown and overcoming the occurred obstacles is yet a step which takes us closer to what we have hoped to find. The picture at that stage may look like a compilation of images in black and white. They can be quite distinct and at the same time to bear the sense of being distant. Add some emotional colours to what you have already found and to make that picture look real. Even if it’s not what you have expected to, those images will definitely bring an asset to the bigger picture of your life. 

There still might be that tickling question whether we have really created the picture or it has been already put out there for us and waiting to be found. Who knows? It’s good to know that after all we have the choice to explore and find what we want instead of simply being content with the little piece of white paper and the few sketches on it. Adding different emotions and the ability to change them with time, is what makes our picture real. So, take that opportunity and fill the darkness with life, the way you would like it to be – colourful and vibrant.