While wandering around a store the other day that was filled with stuff that was far too expensive, I took the time to look at a Kansas City artist’s work.  She is an author and painter and paints some of her own favorite quotes on canvas.  Yes, I know…slightly lame, but one of them really stuck with me.  “I hope that someday my courage catches up with my imagination” , it has been a few weeks since I saw it and since I still think about it I guess I should process it.  I don’t think of myself as that courageous of a person.  I am easily intimidated by most people, and I can’t count the number of times that I have kept my  mouth shut when I should have spoken my mind.  At the same time my  imagination is full of ways to make this a better world…but I don’t always have the courage to act on my own imagination.  things run through my head like.. What if I fail, what if what I think really isn’t going to change anything and I wind up wasting a whole lot of energy, what if instead of helping people I just wind up creating more hurt, there has to be someone better at doing this then I am…I should let them do it so I don’t screw it up, If I take a stand on this how will it effect me later or  the ones that I love. I think we all talk ourselves out of acting just because we don’t have the courage to do the things that we know need to be done.

I am rambling, but I processing this so back off.  I am now trying  to define what courage means and I realize that I don’t know.  I think that maybe courage means looking at our options and choosing the one that will serve the  world the most…even if it is the most difficult.  I think that courage means being aware of your fears and trying to figure out  a way to do the right thing despite the fact that you are terrified.  I know that there are probably better definitions out there, so if you have them feel free to share.  I think that if we would be courageous enough to act on our imaginations then maybe we wouldn’t then maybe things would get better around here.

So yes, a slightly  tacky painting has caused me to reflect upon my vocation as a human being.  I doubt a whole lot of people are reading this, but If you are I probably love you… take courage, be imaginative, and send me some chocolate…I really like it.

 

Justy wayne