The utterance, the manifest, the creation;The dust, the breathe, the man;The aloneness, the boredom, the drudgery;The slumber, the rib, the helper.And life was good! The serpent, the guile, the quiz;The fruit, the lie, the scheme;The… More
Muse-worthy Quote: Attractive, by Darkness
Darkness is unsettling and scary. No one, young or old, wants to be enveloped in its chilling embrace. Everything we understand about it, and attribute to it is negative.
Can anything good come out of the dark?
Yes.
- Boldness is birth in the dark.
- The other senses you ignore and under-use become fully functional in the dark.
- Light, is made visible and more attractive by darkness.
- It is unmistakable in the dark.
- Nobody takes light for granted, in the dark.
You may be in dark place of fear, pain, loss, failure, divorce etc. right now, it can be a chance to shine brighter than you have ever shone, and be enviable; a place to refocus and get your priorities right.
Muse-worthy Quote: Acceptance & Rejection
‘If you live for people’s acceptance, you’ll die from their rejection.’
– Lecrae Moore, Unashamed.
This quote is from the introductory chapter of my favorite rap artiste, Lecrae’s audiobook, Unashamed. I gleaned the following from musing on that quote.
- Immunity to the crave of people’s acceptance is very difficult to achieve. The lure of fame and popularity is relentless. It is a daunting task to refuse to take the bait. When you are reeled in you are sold for life.
- Man’s acceptance is merciless. Let the sorely disappointed lives and crushed spirits it leaves behind in its wake deter you from chasing the wind of fame and popularity. It is self-delusion to think you will fare better.
- It is okay to be famous and endorsed. It is an asset. However, do not allow yourself be defined by another’s acceptance of you. People change, our views don’t always remain the same. So what happens when you are stripped of the acceptance by which you have defined yourself?
- Immunity from the lure to mold ourselves by people’s acceptance and opinion of us possible. You can do without yearning for people’s acceptance.
To make the most of everyday, for the rest of your life, you must get your identity right. It should not stem from fickle and temporary things.
Do not allow yourself be defined by another’s opinion of you. People change, our views don’t always remain the same.
Have you experienced rejection before? How did you respond to it?
Check out these related posts, Identity (inspired by one of Lecrae’s songs) and I Am.
Lecrae’s audiobook, Unashamed is available FREE this April. Get it by signing up here.
Imperfect, But Valuable
‘The world is quite skilled at assaulting us with countless messages—overt and covert—about how to measure our worth.’
I couldn’t agree more with Michele Cushatt, when I read the above words on her blog post recently. Moment by moment we are told to define ourselves by:
- Where we live
- What we wear
- What we drive
- Who we hang out with
- How much our net worth shows.
- …
Unfortunately, ‘too often we listen, we buy in. And we frantically try to do what is demanded of us.’ We do our best to fit into the mold, foregoing things that matter most. Only to discover the mold is not what it is cracked up to be – satisfaction sought, not guaranteed.
Sadly, instead of gaining wisdom from experience, the frustration birth by wrong choices is masked and suppressed by a renewed resolve to attain the perfect life ‘against all odds’.
Life, yours inclusive, is imperfect. In spite of all the enhancements man cooks up it can never be perfect. That is why the ‘perfect life’ is always redefined.
But who says imperfection is not okay?
‘Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.’
– Annette Funicello
You are imperfect but very valuable, even if it is to just one person on planet earth. Your achievement may seem insignificant; you may even see yourself as a failure, yet you can add value to another.
It does not take lofty pursuits and grand achievements. Value is added mostly through seemingly insignificant actions and words. Their impact is far-reaching because they are carried out and uttered in love.
The task may be menial, and seem unimportant.
The gesture may be trivial and insignificant.
Provided it is done in love, It’s the wisest investment;
Based on the greatest commandment –
Love,
Birth in us from above.
Anyone is capable of adding value to another.
A penniless beggar can offer a smile. (This can achieve much more than you know).
You can offer a listening ear to a friend even though you are broke.
It does not have to cost you a kobo to be kind.
Don’t define yourself by what you have achieved or amassed for yourself. Decide today to make your life count by adding value to others. Intentionally. That is what gives life meaning.
‘Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.’
– Jesus Christ (Luke 12:15)
How do you define yourself?
