Things happen… cycles repeat…
people continue to follow an identical pattern -
however, then a series of events
leads to point of chaos and confusion,
and what you thought was going to happen
doesn’t happen, and then there is a question
of who, or what, is in control?
Because, though most people wake up,
go to work, and know what they have to do, and when,
most of the time, there needs to be something,
or someone, to keep things going,
to keep things moving,
to make sense of the world around us,
to be a focal point, and to be the one
with all the answers to all the questions
that there always are,
and the one with solutions to the many problems
and challenges that often arise.
History is full of stories of people
who started out and originated
from the lowest levels of society,
but who when given the opportunity
to show their true colours
and the spark of their potential
they chose to embrace the moment
that presented itself to them
and in turn became legendary
in their own way because of how
they showed what they were
capable of doing and becoming
when a particular time needed them
to transition and transform.
Actors; Athletes; Parents;
Celebrities; Fighters; World leaders;
anyone who finds themselves thrust
into a state of responsibility,
when they have to make a judgment call
on not just themselves, but others as well -
including being a role model that people
look to for inspiration, guidance,
support, and motivation -
know what it is like to have
the attention of others fixed upon you,
because they need to know what they should do
and they want to emulate what they observe
in the words and in the actions of those
who they believe, like, and respect.
Whenever you have to be the one
whose voice matters most
and the one that carries farther
than all the others that may be talking,
when you have to become the one in charge,
and the leader of a group of people
with a common goal -
even if having to do so takes you out
of your comfort zone -
you have just got to take a breath,
believe in yourself, trust your instincts,
and you will find the courage, the strength,
the confidence, and the will that you need
whenever you have to take a step forward
at the same time that you choose
to take a “step up”.
confidence
The Pathfinder: Out of your shell
A Poem A Day #547: Out of your shell
My Poem “Out of your shell”
It is good to challenge ourselves... it is good to take on new responsibilities... it is good to do things we have never done before - in fact, it is essential in maintaining our mental health... it is good to expand our knowledge, see the sights and meet new people from different localities... it is good to be immersed in the unfamiliar... it is good to test our tolerances... it is good to let down our guard and converse with people who have different answers to the question: why are we here? it is good not to worry about if someone is watching and just do your thing - even if it leads to you involuntarily making a joke, singing, or starting to dance... it is good to look the way you want to look... it is good to have your own opinion of what is beautiful... it is good to have an imagination and to have the gift to be able to see the faces and to hear the voices of characters that you read in a book... it is good to step out of your comfort zone and embrace the opportunity to be able to fly free of your nest and naturally find yourself coming out of your shell.
My Poem “Stand Up”
I do my best creating while I am sitting down, but I do my best performing when I am standing up... when I write a poem, or a story, I have a keyboard or a notebook in front of me; but when I am recording something I have written and I am talking into a microphone I am always doing so while standing on my own two feet, because to me there is no better way to let out what is inside of you - and if you don't believe me you need only watch and listen to a seasoned stand-up comic who knows what it is like to have an audience in front of them captivated with anticipation at what will be uttered from their mouth. Performing in front of an audience is not easy and it is definitely not for everybody... talking to others is what some people might consider the hardest thing they have to do... some people are extroverts and being the centre of attention is like being given a jolt of energy: however, some people would rather stay out of the limelight, in the background, and remain hidden from view. With practice, I have learned to use my senses to filter out the inconsequential and focus on what matters the most... with repetition, I have come to understand the best way to communicate what it is that I want to say and to do it with no other voice than my own... with a saved lexicon of language and life experience I am able to convey my thoughts - but sometimes even my own internal dictionary is not capable of finding a way to describe everything, because sometimes words are not enough... with confidence, which can sometimes only be found after a long time of looking, I believe that everybody can find a way to become more than they ever imagined they could be and deliver their own form of magic - whether they are sitting down or whether they are standing up delivering jokes, telling stories, or reciting verses of poetry.
My Poem “Worth it”
Hopes and dreams are wonderful things…
going on an emotional journey
is always worthwhile and fulfilling…
having trust and confidence in something
or someone is necessary if you value
the power and the meaning of believing…
worrying about something too much
can sometimes be harmful –
which is why, if you want to feel free
of any internal turmoil,
you have to take a page out of a book of faith
and forgive something or someone,
especially if you yourself are the one
in the most need of being forgiven…
some people find it hard to believe in themselves
and to recognize that they are phenomenal…
some words, no matter how positive and powerful they are,
fall on deaf ears because those who hear them
find it hard to believe in them…
sometimes music is the only way
to break through long standing barriers
and the only way to get through to another person’s
heart and soul to allow them to understand
and feel the sometimes unfathomable…
sometimes in life patience is the greatest
of all virtues that you can possess…
waiting for something or someone
can sometimes be the hardest thing in the world –
but if something or someone is truly
who and what you think they are
then one day you will realize that
all the time that you spent waiting for them
was unquestionably worth it.
My Poem “Connecting…”
So much of life is about finding connections…
so much of life involves beginning from somewhere new…
so much of life is about making choices and decisions…
so much of life involves everybody having to dig deeper
and further discover more about something that they never knew…
so much awaits those who do not listen too intently
to the voices who vehemently proclaim
that something cannot be done…
so much can be attained by those who choose
to look beyond the horizon for the answers that they seek…
so much music becomes un-muted to our ears
when we listen to the hopes and the dreams
of those who love what they do
because they do what they love…
so much can be expressed when we no longer surround
ourselves with the walls and the barriers
that can sometimes make us feel claustrophobic
and like a Goldfish in a fish-bowl…
so much needs to be seen… so much needs to be said…
so much happens instantaneously and beyond our control…
so much comes easy to us when we put our faith and our trust
into that which calls out from within us to be allowed to shine…
so many people do not have the confidence in their own voice
and they shy away from any and all opportunities
when and where they can open up their soul
like a flower that becomes their most alive when they are blooming…
everyone in this world is a work of art in the making –
and like the sometimes hidden meaning of a piece of art,
the only way to see what is ever-present
is to reach out with all of your senses
and embrace every moment with which you are connecting…
My Poem ‘Special Education’
A student is only as good
as the teacher who teaches them;
a teacher’s true gift
is giving their student a reason to listen;
everyone is a student all their life;
every parent is the greatest teacher,
idol, role-model, and inspiration
of their child.
Teaching can be easy for the knowledgeable;
learning can be hard for the slow;
inspiring someone can be incredible;
understanding is like hearing a song
that you can’t stop listening to
after you hear it playing on the radio.
The best lessons are based on first-hand experience;
the greatest thing that you can give someone
is encouragement and confidence;
the best story-teller is an artist;
the greatest person you could ever know
is the one whom you both love and trust.
Learning can be addictive;
watching can be hypnotizing;
listening can be relative;
a perfect ending is that much more amazing
because it is the sum
of all the experiences
that were essential
in building that which grew
over time to mean everything.
We all need a reason to reach;
we all need a push when we all know
we need to make a jump;
we all need a strong foundation in the beginning,
and to preserve our own living identity
the up-and-coming next generation
need to know that it is not a crime
to let your imagination run free;
no matter what anyone tells you,
you know more and you can do more
than you realize,
and there has never been a question
that has ever been asked that was ever dumb.
What next? for a student is the best question;
Where now? for a teacher is like igniting
the fuel within the engine of a vessel of exploration;
Why? is capable of grabbing anyone’s attention;
With whom? can be all the difference,
and paying attention to the right person
at the right time can be the first lesson
to learn from in anyone’s version
of “special education”.
My Poem ‘The Confidence of Man’
Everything needs a centre;
everyone needs a soul;
every world revolves around
a deep and distant light
that calls towards
what lies at their core;
everything in life
plays its essential role.
Having faith and holding-on to faith,
especially in people,
can be testing sometimes
on so many levels;
even God once questioned his own actions
in creating humanity,
according to Genesis in The Bible,
and sort to start anew
with a world-wide flood
after he was disappointed
that Adam and Eve disobeyed him
and listened instead to the words
of a serpent devil.
The entire history of Earth,
and the history of the human race,
is filled with tests of character,
spirit, and heart;
since the beginning of time,
life and light,
the entire universe has been a balance
of the Alpha and the Omega –
the first and the last;
even if your first attempt at something
is a failure and it does not resemble
the original blue-print that you had in mind,
it does not mean that the next time you try
to capture the lightning of an idea again
and bring it to life
it will not be better than you imagined,
and perhaps was always meant
to have not worked out the first time around
because it needed an additional surge
of energy and determination
so as to give it a new lease of life.
There is no such thing as failure,
there are only stepping stones
to the other side of a river;
there is no such thing as the wrong way to walk,
there is only going forwards or going backwards;
there is no such thing as bad timing,
because all that is meant to happen and when
will happen no matter what –
and whether you stand still, or not,
the Earth will keep spinning.
Life is about lying down
and then getting back up stronger than ever;
weaved into the very fabric
of the reality of the world,
there is a beginning, an end,
a meaning, and a plan;
life is meant to be shared
and lived together;
though we all may be imperfect
when we compare ourselves to other people,
the majority of humanity is,
in my humble opinion,
perfect in their imperfectness –
and just as no two people
were ever born to be exactly the same as each other,
to me it would be a failure in and of itself
to ever doubt or lose any kind of confidence
in any woman or any man.
Mark The Poet 