To become great you may well need to shut up and be quiet! Greatness dwells in moments of inspiration, a growing awareness of the passions that stir your heart. If you disagree please think about it for a moment.
Let's start with the obvious by considering the current kaleidoscope of talent shows that have emerged during the past decade- how often have those acts been working on their talents at home, doing the circuit, entertaining for free or a pittance whilst gaining experience? Talent TV shows become their storm, their chance to shine and even then the serious work takes place behind the scenes during weeks of mentoring, image polishing etc. Each week we watch the show and there are probably a couple of people who really stand out from the rest.
So how can we best describe the quiet before the storm? The quiet refers to those moments in daily life where we are inspired. Maybe you have raw talent to hone and spend countless hours practising, painting or composing whilst your friends are out having fun. Others may be inspired through anger over injustice; possibly out of a desire to create awareness over something that has been triggered through personal experience; hence so many campaigns This is when the 'greatness' switch is turned on. All of us are great at something which is often realised fairly early on by family, friends or colleagues. Alternatively, if you're suddenly inspired/discovered later in life- Susan Boyle or J. K. Rowling for example, people may be in awe, shocked or even envious!
There are different levels of greatness, some attributed by society due to outstanding qualities which, whether you like or dislike a person, cannot be denied. If you say, 'name a boxer,' I imagine Muhammad Ali would be the person who comes to most people's minds-floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee! Isaac Newton flashes in my mind when you say scientist, Martin Luther King JR for civil rights, Emmeline Pankhurst when speaking of British political activists and so on. Obviously there are many famous people who have earnt recognition in all walks of life, especially music or art where personal taste comes into play. We can see that greatness is spread liberally, however, everybody lives a life filled with choices, the greatest amongst these being whether to use or lose your sparkle.
If you think for a minute of children who may be born with a debilitating disease, on so many occasions we hear people describe their personalities with affection and often admiration. This shows us that sometimes greatness lies within the act of just being, accepting and staying positive; all of which require great courage. A quick out of the box thought here: we might think that people don't choose to be a certain way but we don't know how our spiritual intentions work or how they may apply prior to birth.
The seeds of greatness are certainly something to be found in the stillness of our minds. I believe this is part of the reason we sometimes need to take breaks not just from everyday life, but also from projects. Often we hit a point where the ideas dry up. It may be good to leave that project for a reasonable length of time and the probability is that it will begin to flow once again, your ideas having had time to re-formulate.
Quietness and stillness create space for our minds to function at deeper levels and access our super-conscious. This is the true source of creative flow and our job is to be aware of our ideas, write them down and provided we continue with a positive focus and expectation, they have an opportunity to come to fruition. Usually our talents or ideas develop best within a team with the help, skills and insights of others. Genius is a joy to be shared and by allowing other people's genius to shine, everything builds momentum.
After thought: I composed my first ever poem in my head in the bath! This year I will be publishing, with someone's help but I don't know whose!!, my first book of poems entitled, 'Piranha in the Goldfish Bowl.' I will include my original poem, 'Zachary.' Artist Tim Stocks has kindly painted a canvas to be photographed for the cover. I am delighted not just to receive his help, but also through creating another opportunity to share his work- and the idea for this also came in a moment of quietness, so let's expect the book to kick up a storm!
Jaz McKenzie~ The Word Magician
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