Eclectic Shades Magazine September 2014 | Page 7

There’s something in your heart

There aren't many people like me in the world. There aren't many people like you, either. You've got every reason to find yourself to be your favorite thing, same as anyone would find a treasure and value it above the rest. I'm my favorite thing. I know how that must sound, but I haven't always felt that way. One day, last year, I realized how important it is to feel this way though. It makes you value everything about everything so much more. If you value yourself, you understand how to value everything else.

I'm not sure how I've been fortunate enough to, throughout my life, be loved by so many people. I cherish that to no end. I love everyone, even if we don't seem to meet eye to eye. I try to be patient and kind with everyone I meet. I, also, enjoy seeking what people are most passionate about and encouraging them to fulfill that. That's something I wish I had more of my whole life. Not from just a few people, but everyone. It's appalling to me how many people will discourage you from going after what you're passionate about based on their own insecurities and failures that they let slow them or halt them from pursuing their passions any further. Most of my life, I've been prone to giving myself away to others, sacrificing my time, effort, energy, money to, what I thought, would be helping them. Often, what seems to be helping someone is actually just enabling them, so be forewarned, truly helping another means supporting them as they do their work, not relieving them of humbling tasks that culture their character which almost always leads to the somber death of passions flame.

Have you ever met someone really after what they're passionate about? You can't help but be in awe of them. They're seriously bad ass. They're on a whole other level and their actions encourage anyone and everyone to do the same. They live without limits because everything is an opportunity to progress their passion moreover.

I've been told for most of my life that I'm an artist. It wasn't something I initially sought out to be. I vaguely recall, prior to my aspirations of being a geneticist at the age of ten, that I was reasonably content and excited just to be alive. I thought life was just a curious thing in general. Remember being a little one and exploring the world? It's so new. Everything is something YOU HAVE NEVER EVER SEEN BEFORE. Is it any different now? You might lie to yourself and others that every day is the same ol' thang, but it's actually changing all the time. What you experienced yesterday isn't even here today, everything on the tiniest level has changed, even if ever so slightly.

Take a moment to find a leaf or a nature scene, or anything for that matter and stare at it. Your mind will begin to wander, thoughts will race and you, for a time, won’t even see what you saw any longer, lost in thoughts about this, that, and whatever, until some random inhale/exhale, or heartbeats beat makes you come out of it and you're still staring at that same subject. It's already different. You might not be able to see it or maybe you can, but the fact that your mind wandered is proof that nothing ever stays still. There is only one thing you can depend on, feel certain about in this life, and that is change itself.

Often, these days, I like to relax. I work on my various business or art endeavors. I spend less time with my many social circles and spend more time with just a few people who I feel are living life with as much heart or more, than I am. Birds of a feather flock together. Is the elephant envious of the lion? Is the shark envious of the whale? We are all different, running at our own pace. That is beautiful.

I realized over time of being titled, an Artist, basically being handed this professional title, that just because others perceive you as something, doesn't make that who or what you are. You are who you choose to be. I always felt I was just alive, experiencing life. It was only when I allowed the fears of others to guide me did I limit myself to only the status of Artist. Being alive is all the status you or anyone needs. That's bad ass in its own. Simmer on that. Soak that in. Feel what it means to be alive. Walk around and see what mankind has made. Even the stuff everyone says is bad for the Earth, it's still amazing that we made it. That's evidence that the imagination is more powerful than anything anyone else can tell you.

This is your life. Go live it. JFeeelGood

-J.Feelgood