My Analysis Of Some Empowering Quotes

It had been a while since I joined Steemit and hadn't posted anything. I thought I'd begin with a little introspection. Perhaps this post is for me just as much as it is for you.






"When it comes to art, it is important not to hide the madness" — Atticus





I will not get into talking about 'oneness,' or God, for that matter. Not that I don't believe in an underlying connection between all things—I do. I just want to avoid all the baggage that comes with the word God. Let's call it the universe instead.


Being a writer, musician, and a pursuer of anything that gets me creative, I can acknowledge that I don't know where my ideas come from. The best artists never claim to know the source of an idea—its bigger than them.


It's because of that, that I believe ideas are just another version of the universe expanding. The universe came into existence, we came into existence, and we have the ability (if not, obligation) to bring other things into existence.


Before leaving this post (you know you already want to) consider that the origin of an idea is metaphysical. It may have been a fleeting image, or even a notion from a dream, but this idea is something that is eager to be born. Whether it is a way to expand your business, or a new sub-plot for your novel, it will subtly eat at you until you plan and bring forth into the world the idea that crossed your mind. Not giving that idea life is what disturbs our sense of peace.


Go to work, build a career and a family, but never forget to nourish your creative side.


Now back to the quote. What I hear from Atticus is this: Don't stand in your own way. You won't stand out from the crowd of writers if you constantly put your material through a filter. The filter may very well be your own judgment. I'll be the first to admit that I look at my writing (mostly fiction) and sometimes cringe or feel the need to hit backspace until the whole paragraph is gone because I can't face what I wrote. I can't face what my mind (perhaps the dark side of my mind) put out.


If I can't face it, I'll never feel comfortable with somebody else reading it.


That's where I'm wrong. Hiding my true self (the madness) will leave my work dull and lifeless. I would probably cringe even harder at the stripped down piece of garbage. On a deeper level, I would just feel guilty because the original ideas had so much more 'juice' that I decided to pour down the drain.


We've all read a book where we read a passage—a deep thought or situation perhaps—that we've gone through, and never had the courage to talk about. But there, in your hands, is a book written by somebody who spoke the truth without sugar-coating it to make themselves or others comfortable. Stephen King comes to mind.


The ramblings of your sub-conscious mind are an accurate portrayal of the art the universe is trying to put out. At least that is how I see it. Art isn't worth making if there is no deeper meaning.


While judging what to say or write and letting that judgment take away from what would have been a genuine piece of expression, we are basically hitting the gas while our left foot is on the brake.




"Always surround yourself with people who are 10 years ahead of you." — Tai Lopez





I believe this quote suggests surrounding yourself with people who you'd like to learn from (as in somebody in a position where you'd like to be).


But this quote can be seen from the other side as well. For example, I've worked in warehouses and factories before. Those who work in these environments are some of the hardest working people in the workforce, but they almost never consider leaving to try something new. Usually on my first or second day, I would come to the conclusion that if I stayed working there, even for a few months, I would begin shrinking. The other workers were almost always older than me (10 years ahead of me) and I saw what my potential future could look like.


These people were ten years ahead of me, like Tai suggested. But they were people who I didn't want to be like.


Not to bash on those who work in factories, but it's not a good life. I've seen it, and my parents have seen it. You get odd shifts, demanding physical work, and barely any sunlight!


They didn't believe they could get a different job—they'd settled for a small life. The prospect of getting a twelve cent raise was easier to deal with than quitting and taking a risk at finding another job.


The person who I was when I walked in was probably how the other workers felt on their first day. Which meant I was looking around and seeing what I would become in 10 years, had I stayed. In an alternate universe, I might have gotten comfortable in that job and settled for the (perceived) security of the paycheque. My dreams would have shrunk to fit my salary.


Synonymous with nature and the universe, we are supposed to expand and flourish in all directions. To stay still is to die.


Learn from those who have been where you are. Talk to other people and interview your future. Does it look good or bad? If it's bad, you can change it right now.




"We are what we repeatedly do" — Aristotle





A quote we all must have heard a variatin of at some point.


I wanted to be a writer for years—and I procrastinated for years. My main impulse in the day was to find a way to kill time. Aside from school, every other moment was a search to waste the moments until it was acceptable to go to bed. The movie of your life twenty years in the future, will be a culmination of your daily activities between then and now.


It's that simple.


If I read a few chapters of a mind-stretching book every day, it will definitely shape how my life looks for the next little while.


Lets extend this concept.


What I do today and tomorrow and the day after, will determine the shape of my week. The shape of my weeks will determine what my month looks like. Those months will stack up and paint a nice little picture of one year. Those years will repeat until one day I look back and will feel one of two things: satisfaction—or regret.


An excited buzzing in your chest, or a hole you no longer have the time or energy to fill.


Do yourself a favour and eliminate those days where you go to bed knowing you could have done a lot more.




"Risk being seen in all of your glory." — Jim Carrey





Jim Carrey is one of the greatest comedians of all time (and yes, you can disagree)—but more importantly, he's somebody who never cared about the judgments of others. I've seen his movies, his early stuff, and his interviews. Not once does he limit himself to what others think is acceptable for an adult to do.


The man licked Oprah's hand when she placed it on his shoulder.


Unlike Carrey, I have a voice in my head that makes constant judgments about myself and others. If I see a person at a party who seems to be drawing a lot of attention—perhaps even making a fool of himself while telling a very animated version of an anecdote, I will almost always make a judgment. Something along of the lines of;


Who does he think he is? This isn't your party mister. He's so annoying.


We all probably have done this at some point in our lives. But the thing to take away from this is the realization that:


Somewhere deep down, we wish we could be that guy. Boom.


Maybe he's not annoying. Maybe I'm only annoyed because he agitates that part of me that wishes I was more care-free and open.


Basically, he sheds light on one of my flaws and it pisses me off.


We wish we had the courage to just be ourselves. To tell a story and laugh your real laugh. To meet a stranger and not have the thought of social acceptance as the dominant decider of our next words. Or like the example in the first quote, write down whatever you want and let it all be seen.


Honestly, I have met strangers with whom I did not share a single truth about myself. Hell, I went out of my way to tell lies. The perfect lies. Tell them everything they want to hear so that they like me and I can feel accepted.


I notice that when I played my music alone in my room, it sounded better than if I played with a friend. I have a fun time improvising on the guitar while I'm alone—but with others—I can pretty much feel a filter in my mind that stands between the music I hear in my head, and the music that my fingers put out.


But I'm working on it.


Even the few times I tried freestyle rapping have been hindered by the almost paralyzing thought of my words being judged. Freestyling is terrifying because—simply put—you could say something that you would rather not have. Or, because of the fact that there is no filter (you decide in a split-second what to say next) you could end up saying something that reveals a deep, hidden part of —something that you are not ready to reveal to the world.


Or yourself.


Now let's get to Jim Carrey again. He is a person who is not afraid to speak freely. He can comfortably improvise on set and in a scene. He is funny because (like most comedians) he'll say what we've all been thinking but haven't said out loud.


He is somebody who is free because he knows that his need for expression is not supposed to be limited by what other people think.


To be unapologetically YOU, is supposed to be our default setting.






If you made it this far, thanks. This was my first big Steemit post so I appreciate all types of feedback.