Make Your Mark Upon Humanity

01/29/05

The greatest gift you have to give to yourself and humanity is the book, the song, the poem the artwork or invention that is locked away within your consciousness.

   All of us have this gift that needs to come out. A one line peace of wisdom written on a napkin from the restaurant that comes from the heart has just as much value as a Picasso. Just the right words written by a street person living on the side of the road can have more impact on society than those of a trained PHD that has been writing for years. A few scribbles written by a beaten women can change the way other women are treated. A short paragraph in a suicide note can save the lives of others.

   All of us have something to write about when it comes from the soul. It has nothing to do with being a writer or a published author. It’s about letting it out and not holding it in, it is a release.

   It doesn’t have to be about sad things or struggles either. It is just as important to write about accomplishments and successes. The urgency is the same and before one dies it is important for the ego and the soul to release this energy.

   It is the fear that stops one from doing so. I have talked to many people over the years who have confided in me that they have always wanted to write a book. All of them have been afraid to do so. They claim they don’t have the knowledge or skills and they worry about being laughed at or ridiculed. Who would buy my book of poems, my "how to" book, or my child’s story book. There are so many other books, great books and authors and these people devalue themselves and their work before it is even started.

   I have to remind them that it doesn’t matter about skills. It is the idea, the experience, thoughts or philosophy contained in the root of the book that is important. Even experienced authors have people that help them published a finished work. I personally don’t know of any writers that have completed their books from start to being published by themselves. Lack of skills is the least important aspect of writing. Getting your thoughts on paper is the only reason for doing it. Once that is done, it doesn’t really matter if the book is ever published unless that is the motive for doing it.

   The important thing to note here is that you are writing for yourself and your life has value no matter how you have lived it. Others will gain from the wisdom you have achieved in your life, even if it is only one thought.

   After years of writing hundreds of articles, essays and books, I have come to know that I did it all for myself. Most all the things I have written about have come from the heart; they are all my true thoughts at the time I wrote them. I have moved past most all that I have written and some of it seems very immature. I do not have the burden of what these thoughts should mean to me any longer as they have all been worked out on paper and I have moved on.

   Most of the time I do not know what I am writing until I have finished and I go back and read my work. Buy the time I have proof read it three or four times I have absorbed the information and refined it to a level that I can live with it. What I have successfully done is manifested another Roy into physical existence on paper.

   It does not matter to my soul one way or the other that someone else should read it or benefit by it. It does matter however to the ego. The body would love for someone to know me through my work and gain some wisdom from the experience. Through the course of my work with my web site, I go back into these articles and books and read them each time for the first time. I marvel at how good or how badly they were written, but always I come away uplifted by what I have read. I have written these articles for myself, that I might gain more insight into who Roy is and how he experiences himself in this lifetime. What I am doing in fact is giving myself back to myself; it is the greatest gift of all.

   I want to tell you at this point how I starting writing so that you may be able to start on your own and begin to create that masterpiece. I want you to know that you can do it. All it takes is a couple of words, a line of text, a paragraph or two and you are off. The most profound thought or acknowledgement of who we are is summed up in only two words, "I AM." Even if you can not write or read, someone else can do it for you. I am going to show you how I started and what has led me to this place in my life.

   After I finished high school I ceased to read or write except to facilitate everyday responsibilities. I may have read one or two books over the next 30 years or so. I had difficult in reading more than a paragraph at a time because my eyes would dance around the page. In my work there was very little need for either reading or writing. I also believed that I was inadequate or plain stupid in those areas.

   Near the age of 50 my attitude changed when I was given a book to read. I liked the title and started to read the introduction. It was difficult to keep my attention because I could not focus on the sentences. I took my time and gradually was able to read a page at a time, then a chapter and now I can sit down and read right through without stopping.

   This book was a catalyst for reading others and I started to build up a library. After several months I was hooked on reading. I developed a dislike for TV and videos and I got the urge to start writing my thoughts down on paper.

   Even more difficult than the process of reading books again were the first steps to writing. I had a high school education and some skills, but was overcome by fear of my own ability and thoughts of rejection should someone read it.

   The process I used to get started was not my own and I don’t remember where I heard about it. Basically the advice was to just start writing and that is what I want to pass on now.

   I positioned myself at my kitchen table very early one morning before I could be disturbed by routine morning activities. I surrounded myself with things that I imagined a writer would need, like my morning tea, a pad and a fountain pen. I wanted to emulate the image I had of how a writer would look like when he/she was ready to add words to paper. I sat at the table very comfortably in my house coat starring at a blank page ready to do writing things.

   Taking the advice that I was given, I just started writing and it went something like this:

   This dialogue went on for a couple of mornings until finally the sentences started flowing and the writing developed a mind of its own and I did not look for anything in particular to write about. I struggled on my own for more than a year, then one morning I started writing a few pages at home and had the urge to take paper and pen to the mail and write there, hoping to find inspiration.

   Having bought a cup of tea I found a table away from the others and continued where I hand left off at home. I started writing for a few moments when something amazing took place.

   My pen took on an energy of its own and forced my hand forward along the lines of the pages leaving in its wake paragraphs of text. I lost track of time, and it seemed like only twenty minutes of time had passed to write the more than twenty single line spaced pages. My hand was getting tired and sore from the increased speed of the writing. I didn’t want to stop but was also afraid to let it go on. I was sitting back watching myself and my eyes filled with tears as I began to allow fear to fill my presence. I thought that it would not stop and that I could not control what was happening, so I terminated the process.

   It has taken me five years to get to this point and the article you are now reading.

   The writing comes easy for me, it is the proofing that is the greatest challenge and it is so, because I do it myself. There are others that could help and it’s simply a matter of choice.

   I write for myself and I am the majour beneficiary of what I have written. If someone else should benefit from my reading it is because they have placed themselves in the correct time and place to receive that profit. I have made my writing available through my web site in order to facilitate that discovery.

   Anyone can do it, no matter how small or large the project. How significant or insignificant it may seem at the time you story must be told.

   Each of us has a creation, a story, a painting, a sculpture or poem in us that needs to come out. They are a physical expression or symbol of who we are and we owe it to ourselves and others to bring it into the physical world.

   The two most powerful words of expression by humanity are "I AM." The sentence is complete in its brevity and what follows is the extension of "I AM." I am a writer, a painter, a sculptor, a poet, an artist and "I AM" going to bring this story out because it is who "I AM."

Roy is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. An international published author, a student of NLP, spiritual philosopher, New Age Light Worker, Teacher and Phenomenologist. Roy's books and articles are thought provoking, and designed to empower your imagination. Review Roy's new book at: http://www.yourlifewasnevermeanttobeastruggle.com