You Will Have Your Chance To Shine

      Photo Credit: Joel Stephens

     It's coming. Everyone always gets at least one.

   At least one moment where your heart's ultimate desire meets with incredible divinely orchestrated opportunity.

     But more importantly. Will you be ready? I'm serious.

   A couple year's back, a well-known television director that I greatly admire, asked me that very question. With such assurance, he looked me dead in my eyes, and told me, "You will have your chance to shine. Will you sink or swim? Will you have been prepared? Will you be ready??"

   Whoa. How does one prepare for such a weighty divine appointment? 

     The answer is not as complicated as one might imagine.

     You may be a gifted artist or mathematician, and your heart's dream may be to develop a new mathematical formula while working alongside Harvard professors. Or you may be a singer who hopes to play Madison Square Garden one day.

      For the mathematician, he should be working on such formulas now. And for the singer, he should be playing music almost anytime he can, whether in front of 2 people or 200.

     Because, soon, at  one point along the journey, an opportunity will meet your gifting and your heart's desire. It will astound you and scare you half to death. You may doubt all of your previous years of experience, but the questions will remain, "Are you ready? And do you really want this?"

     You will have your chance to shine. You don't have to worry about making that opportunity happen. These types of circumstances are rarely manufactured by our own schemes and plans. It may takes years to appear, but do not lose heart. It will happen and most likely when you least expect it, least care, and hopefully come when you're the most prepared.

Wisdom's Knocking:

Faithful with little. Faithful with much.

Image Isn't Everything

   Photo Credit: Daniella Hovsepian  

     I wish people in pictures sounded as good as they presented themselves in those pictures. 

     Let me explain that: It's always the best that we want people to see in us. And in pictures, nowadays, we strike the pose of smiling even if we were just in an argument with the our own thoughts or circumstances, seconds prior to the picture snapping.

     But perhaps the best in us according to our own eyesight is not as it seems or as strong as we'd like it to be. What if people see the beauty and strength in us, in other ways? I reckon that this is more true than not.

     When we look at a picture of ourselves, we tend to zone in on the area of perceived deficiency or lack of uniformity with the present day's standard of beauty. But I propose, that you look at yourself in the mirror at least once a day, and proclaim beauty and handsomeness to every area of who you are.

     It's incredibly important for you to already know the beauty and light that shines within you before anyone else, including yourself, tries to snuff it out, or puts limitations on it.

     The smile in your pictures shouldn't merely be an image or a facade of happiness, but instead, it should be a confirmation of the delight that you see in yourself and in others. 

Wisdom's Knocking:

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Blur, Blur, Focus.

     I’m in the process of trying to find my gaze. What am I suppose to be focusing on in my life right now? Where should I be exerting the majority of my energy. What makes my heart sing?

     Once before, it was diamond clear as to what I felt my calling was. And with that, it helped this artist to keep her path narrow and focused.

     But as time passed and curve balls came, somehow my heart’s focus got lost in the crowd.

     And with the temperament of an artist, I am inspired by a many art forms, outlets, and expressions, at any given time---Which can be dangerous. I can easily find myself drifting in multiple different paths without the true precision of walking intently and full of passion towards one artistic vocational statement.

     Could it be that following little passions lead to the fulfillment of the big passion?

     At the rate I’m going, one can only hope.

     Do I continue to go through the open doors presented to me, or do I exercise more discretion?

     Do I just take the ball because it was thrown to me, or do I head towards the sunflower fields of my dreams?...Or strawberry fields…Or…perhaps I need to be more intentional about picking and knowing the field of which I want to lay in…..And knowing which particular dream they hold.

     Dear God: Please help your daughter see more clearly… In all things. Amen.

Wisdom’s Knocking:

With God, follow your bliss.

Poetry

Photo Credit: Daniella Hovsepian

     I look forward to the day, when a beautiful man writes poetry about me. I’ve always dreamed about having one of those relationships where my man takes random photos of me dancing and sings me inspired poetry of our love.

     And I would make poetry for him, simply out of the overflow of my love. And I would hold his face with my two hands and thank God that I had the gift of sight to stare into his eyes for eternity.

     Those are things I think about when I think about poetry…

Wisdom’s Knocking:

You can live in a state of romance whether in or out of a relationship.

Pushing Buttons

     Photo Credit: Daniella Hovsepian

     It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone lose their cool and get uber defensive. Wait. Now that I think about it, that’s a lie. It was just that this particular incident seemed to stick out strongly, because it involved someone that I respect and care about deeply.

     Needless to say, when any of us are challenged in our current behavior patterns, we tend to get a little fidgety. Mostly, because I believe that certain behavior patterns  are rooted in a deep seated  emotion or event that has not been fully dealt with. And that emotion lives just enough below the surface to go unrecognized by strangers.

     Vulnerability is such a fragile and scary and brave attribute to acquire and maintain. One has to feel safe. One has to feel secure. One has to feel free in order to jump the cliff of vulnerability with another person.

     Today, without belittling and devaluing my own position and worth, I tried to remain a safe and loving place of refuge—a fair listening ear.

     The verdict is still out. Buttons were pushed. But as we’re both left standing. I will once again choose love.  And I won’t be afraid—rather I chose not to be afraid to be vulnerable once again.

Wisdom’s Knocking:

An argument doesn’t always have to end in division.