Ah, today's prompt... difficult in so many ways - the title 'A kind of brilliance', the prompt itself: 'See if you can find brilliance as you write your small stone today', the quote Satya shares:
One day passes and another day comes along, and everything happens the same.
But basically, we are so afraid of the brilliance coming at us. and the sharp experience of our life, that we can't even focus our eyes.
But basically, we are so afraid of the brilliance coming at us. and the sharp experience of our life, that we can't even focus our eyes.
Chogyam Trungpa
Then add my own issues to the mix - say the word 'brilliance' and I immediately thing 'mental acuity', 'genius' 'exceptional', 'once-in-a -generation skill' *sigh*
Too, too much internal pressure!!
But I'm learning...
I breathe through the dialogue raging in my head:
And find a photo to inspire a small stone...
Breathe in love, breathe out judgement...
Breathe in calm, breathe our anxiety...
Breathe in light, breathe out fear...
And find a photo to inspire a small stone...
A sudden flash of sunlight
Catches the window sill,
Catches the glass jar,
Making the feather quills shimmer.
Can I capture this moment
In ink?
OMgosh - I absolutely love this!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much :)
DeleteCan I ask what you love about it - my description of the process, the small stone itself, or the whole post...?
If you can answer, it would really help me to assess 'stuff' xx
I get intimidated too by "brilliance" and often end up just not starting anything. So then I have to give myself a kick up the bum, remember that perfection is the enemy of good, and that brilliance wears many disguises. And you can't be brilliant ALL the time :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are right, of course...
DeleteBut the inner critic has SUCH a loud and persist voice that's hard to ignore... *sigh*
I liked the whole post . . . I liked the suspense of the process, and when I finally scrolled and read your stone... it hit me that much harder as I'd already connected to the whole process of how it was 'birthed". Blown away claire this one had power! (maybe because of your 'internal' struggle with the word to begin with!(?) I hope I've helped?
ReplyDeleteYou have - so much! Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I so appreciate it :)
DeleteI struggled with whether to share the process... but reading your words, I feel more confident that I did the 'right' thing... so thank you!!!
Just keep showing up... I think that's the most important thing? In the words of Lady Gaga:
ReplyDelete"When I wake up in the morning, I feel like any other insecure 24-year-old girl. Then I say, 'B*tch, you get up and walk the walk today.'"
Can't remember where I read this but I think it's great!
Again, you're right :)
DeleteThat's why I'm persevering with this Challenge - haven't made it every day, but I HAVE shown up for most...
It's good to know that even the uber-confident Lady G has to talk herself into it sometimes - makes her seem more human :) x
See... Underneath it all... We're all just paddling furiously to stay afloat - even her!
Delete'Tis true, oh so true :)
DeleteI have been away from the blogs for a while, so haven't been keeping up with anyone properly. This is my first glimpse of these small stones and it was compelling enough to make me pause to look at more of yours and go look at the challenge page. I think that you shared your struggle was part of the beautiful truth of this, but the quote, the breathing mantra and the stone itself added a rhythm to it that brought breath and pause to my day.
ReplyDeleteThank you for these lovely words, Kelly, and thank you for reading my other stones... I'm so glad that they 'brought breath and pause' to your day - what a gorgeous, gorgeous phrase *sigh*
DeleteI hope you don't mind - after my blog post yesterday I felt your words were just what I needed to hear so I have printed them off to put into my journal.... is that ok? xxx
ReplyDeleteMore than OK, dear Magpie - I'm deeply honoured that my words spoke to you! Thank you :)
DeleteBut should we really think of brilliance as a definition from a dictionary. It comes in many guises, brilliance is, to me, a power to reach people by your thoughts (therefore words), brilliance is the power that having just spent time with you, they then go over that time and relish it and think about it, rather than just moving on to the next thing going on that day. It is about heart and soul, not having letters after ones name (which I know you have of course!) therefore, Your brilliance shines in a deeper way x
ReplyDeleteJust lovely, Claire. I've been forgetting to be mindful in my writing and am enjoying your reminders!
ReplyDelete