What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?

When Martin Luther King said, "I have a dream" he was not just daydreaming about something he wanted to see happen. Dr. King was living on purpose, taking every step in his power to move toward a difficult goal. His mindset; I will try until I die. He knew that achieving the dream would come at great cost. There is a price to finally realize what you may have been longing for your whole life. You have got to maintain sold out resolve, and unbroken focus.

Dr. King referred to many believing and working alongside him as, "veterans of creative suffering."  Wow! Think about that for a minute - "veterans." They had been in the struggle for a long while, but giving up was never an option. Jail, pain, pressure, the sight and stench of death; none of these things stopped the advancement of a people who believed.

It takes inner fortitude to keep moving when you can't even see a light -- when there seems to be no end to the journey. It takes some kind of spiritual power to continue moving forward when the path to the destination is obscured, or barred. That spiritual power is birthed at the same time you are - your purpose comes to life in that wail, as air fills your lungs for the first time.

That purpose propels you when others say it cannot be done. It keeps you working in the midst of snickers and criticisms that would discourage even the strongest. Purpose becomes a steel rod in your backbone. It is like a Kevlar vest, blocking verbal ammunition from penetrating; a helmet that shields the mind when projectiles are launched.

The only one who can stop purpose from being fulfilled is you. I dreamed of walking across a stage in cap and gown with my degree in hand. I dreamed of singing, and writing. There were many detours on the path, but purpose never died.

What is your dream? Are you going to give up because of something someone said or might have done to discourage you? Don't do that. Live on purpose. It will safeguard you as you navigate the process to destiny. Hold on -- You have what it takes. Be strong -- You are going to make it.

What are you doing the rest of your life? Living on purpose? Okay, that's what I want to hear. I am rooting for you.

Work Of Art

Color your world. Make it beautiful with long strokes and bold splashes. Adorn the landscape of your dreams. You can make it happen, just believe. When you believe, you are convicted to transform what you see into what it should become.  Passion drives you. Actualization, realization, whatever word you wish to use - the shaping of your vision is a thing of beauty.

Dreams come to life at the whisper of your thoughts, the sound of your words. Create a whirlwind of movement and dance into the realm of possibility, step by step. Vibrant colors need both light and dark. The mix develops hues that grace the stark white canvas that is you. Don’t be afraid of the dark. Walk through until you step into the light. You will find the dark is not a scary place. In those moments, absence of light awakens other senses, and you create in ways you never could in illuminated spaces.

A potter spins the wheel just so, slight pressure here, a bit firmer there. Each stage is an unfolding.  Let pressure grace the vessel with its nuances – creating character that would not otherwise be found. Nobody ever said it would always be easy. Everything may not be wonderful, but it will be good – in the end, it will be good.

Hear, see, understand – allow. Eliminate, ruminate – appreciate. Mix your colors, dare to see beyond mundane. Hear the sounds you missed while focusing on fears of never being seen, or heard, or understood. No matter what you do, you’ll leave a legacy; so make it good. Watch your colors seep into lives, as their canvas, too, becomes a work of art.