Hello My dear Friend,
Peace And Blessings!
Hope things are going awesome with you.
I recently read the book ‘’Big Magic’’ by Elizabeth Gilbert. The book is pretty awesome with all the content she handles in it. Today I just wanted to share a story she narrates in one of the chapters.
Yup. Storytime. Get cosy.
Elizabeth Gilbert remembers her daddy as a curious person who followed learning and doing whatever things he was curious about. Though by profession he was a chemical engineer, he had played the roles of a Christmas tree farmer, goat farm owner, Honey beekeeper and many other roles without any qualification in any of the fields. What he did was follow his curiosity in whatever things he wanted to do and do it himself rather than waiting for others' permission.
Before being married, while he was in the Navy, he was once commanded by his captain to make a suggestion box to put in the canteen. He dutifully built the box and nailed it to the wall. And then he wrote himself and dropped the first suggestion in the box.
His note read: ‘’I suggest that you remove the suggestion box.”
I liked it. I liked the hint of that note.
Many times in our life we live solely according to others' suggestions. We often don’t venture into things we like because of the opinions around us. Or we doubt our own ability based on how people judge us. It can be the family or the teachers or the society or the friends who say, “No buddy, you are not up to that. Or you are not that kinda person.” And likewise.
And over time, these suggestions that people and society around you build up inside you to the extent that you believe that is what you are. That is how every dream dies. Do you remember your fond dreams when you were a child? And do you remember how being an adult, you taught yourself that those dreams are weird and impossible because you are now different from what you were before? And you completely gave up on working with your dreams. Keeping a suggestion box without any filter is destructive to our potential.
Truth said, there are no limits we can do out of curiosity if we are courageous enough. If we don’t wait for others' certificates and permission to do things we love. The thing is that we need to own our life to be living the most beautiful life we can create. Or else we will end up living some other life.
So my question to myself and to you is this.
Is there anything in your creative life that is in the back drawer just waiting for others' permission for you to do? Is there any new thing you are afraid to try because everyone says you can’t do it? Is there any belief about yourself you stick to just because everybody said so?
Then, my friend, I suggest you remove that suggestion box.
Love & Prayers
