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“Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action. Do it or don’t do it. It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet.
You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther along its path back to God.
Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution.
Give us what you’ve got.”
[From Steven Pressfield’s book, The War Of Art].
These words from Pressfield are one of my all-time favourites. Whenever I look over it, the words swirl around in my mind challenging my thoughts, + dropping something new into my heart.
See, if I were to have one fear in life it would probably be this: leaving this world with the wrong imprint.
We’ve each been graced with such gifts + talents to use, yet so few of us actually do.
When we look at ourselves we can underestimate their power + value. But they weren’t given to us for our benefit. A gift is called a gift because you’re supposed to give it. They were given to us to help contribute to this world. If you don’t use your gift, there are people out there you’re robbing because they need what it is that you have.
We’re each living stories + leaving fingerprints on all we touch.
I don’t want to go through life writing a story that’s not meant to be written by me. I have my own story to live + write, + you have yours.
What’s your contribution going to be in this world? Don’t let us down. We need you.
