Well, this isn’t quite true. A herd can make a heck of a lot of noise. But the point is that the individual can’t be heard apart from the herd.
So, if you feel you have a voice that should be heard all by itself then you need to separate from the herd in one way or the other. Some people think what that means is you have to have a superior voice (or some other talent) But it really doesn’t really mean that.
You can have quite an average voice (look at so many rock stars if you have any doubt) but have unique things to say that make you stand out. You can work harder than others to develop that voice or you can be better at finding the audience that wants and needs to hear it. In other words, standing out is, more than anything else, a result of a decision that you want to.
That can come from a number of things, some good, some bad. Perhaps you want adulation and fame and drive yourself to achieve that. You could very well get those things if you drive hard enough. But then what? Was that ultimately satisfying? Most famous people I have read about and most famous people I know (local celebrities of one sort or another, not really FAMOUS people) have given me the impression that being famous isn’t all that great in and of itself.
What word do we so often see alongside fame? Fortune. And for some the drive to stand out is based on wanting not fame but fortune. It’s all about the money. I get that. Money, especially if you have don’t have enough, is a compelling reason to do whatever it takes to stand out so money comes in. It is true that in most areas of sports and entertainment fame is often a precursor to having more money. And obviously money isn’t a bad thing to have in and of itself.
But once again, my experience having been raised in a very wealthy community and then having very little money, there really is not a huge difference in well-being or happiness between the two. Yes the big CEO might be well-known around the world, but that doesn’t mean he or his family isn’t wracked by alcoholism or domestic abuse or some other terrible issue that he or she tries to keep hidden. It’s not the part of their ‘voice’ that they want to be known for.
In my thinking the better and more sustainable sort of desire to stand out is based on feeling you have something of value to give the world, something that the world can benefit from. Fame and/or fortune might come along with that, no doubt. Nothing wrong with either. But neither one is the number one goal, making a positive contribution to the world is.
If you are driven to have your voice, or your art, science, music, engineering, writing, dance, humor, insight, athletics, or any other area of human endeavor stand out because of that, then you can sustain it and enjoy it for your entire life. And who knows, maybe you will get your name in lights and make a few bucks as well!
I heard the quote while watching the TV show, Survivor this season. The person who spoke it was Noura, one of the finalists of season 39. I do not know if she is the originator of the quote.
Mary and Martha had some time to spare before Jesus and the boys came to visit later in the week so they decided to go to the spa and pamper themselves. They did mani-pedis, massage, hot yoga, a salt room and finally a facial.
The facial consisted of an oatmeal and Frankincense Oil mask that was a popular anti-wrinkle compound of the day followed by an olive oil facial massage.
Mary enjoyed the entire day, indulging and relaxing in the serene environment. Martha tried to enjoy it but was only partially successful. She was too worried about the arrival of their guests and all the work that had to be done beforehand.
She also was annoyed by the stupid halo that was always lighting up her sister’s head. Mary was always the one people liked and talked to. She was a flirt and a social butterfly and it drove Martha crazy. She didn’t contribute nearly as much to making meals, cleaning up, getting the place ready. All she did was talk talk talk and get attention.
Martha meanwhile did most of the work and was ignored. “How could that be fair?”, she thought to herself. If that happened when Jesus and the gang came to visit she was going to give them all a piece of her mind.
This is a continuation of my obsession with drawing using spirals that started when I read ‘All the light We Cannot See’. In it there is a young man who is so wounded emotionally and psychology by a terribly abusive beating that all he does all day long is draw spirals, which is seen as just the simplest, most minimal activity a person is capable of. I took it as a challenge to see what I could do just using spirals and it’s become an ongoing series for the past year or so.
I drew it while I was live streaming on Periscope and asked those watching what they thought the drawing was about. My thought as I drew it was that it was about the shapes, curvilinear vs rectilinear, that that was the juxtaposition between her and the world. But a friend in Turkey, Justine, said she saw it as a warm woman in a very cold world and that was a fresh look at it that I liked.
I did the black and white ink portion of this drawing in January of 2003 at Borders Bookstore in Tulsa, OK. We dated for a number of months in 2002/2003 and remained friends after.
I left it as a black and white ink drawing in my sketchbook for 16 years. This fall (2019) I was going through old sketchbooks and decided I would finally ink it up with some color. And this is the result.
Drawing is one of my favorite ways to keep memories from the past.
I’ve heard way too many Pastors speak about things they don’t understand. Whether it be science (especially cosmology and biology), sociology, psychology, art, or some other area.
How do I know they don’t understand these areas? Because they are ignoring the long development of these areas of art and science in favor of their interpretation of the Bible. The choose a specific interpretation that backs up their and their powerful congregational member’s uneducated opinion. And what is that opinion? The opinion is that things need to remain as the powerful congregants want it to remain. Why? Because those congregants give money that sustains both the church and the staff.
What it comes down to is intellectual curiosity and integrity over fear and accommodation. When a Pastor is willing to lead with intellectual integrity and is willing to stand up to powerful interests that are not acting in the best interest of the congregation’s true mission then I will be happy.
