For avid readers of this blog, you know my passion for music. Have you ever wondered about the origins of your favorite songs? Are there songs you’ve been listening to for years?
Most of the songs we enjoy today didn’t exist 50 years ago, and some didn’t even exist a year ago. Every song starts with an idea and someone who writes it.
Creativity is often associated with artists, songwriters, and poets. Many books focus on enhancing our creativity. It’s amusing how we often feel insecure, believing we can’t create like “them.”
Our present unfolds based on the choices we make for our future. Every day, we have the power to shape our lives, but it seems few recognize this. Our unique experiences, thoughts, and approaches influence our choices each day. Whether it’s making purchases, completing tasks, discarding items, or helping others, we are always actively creating our future.
Comparing ourselves to artists and musicians hinders our ability to lead meaningful lives. We mistakenly believe that creativity requires a special spark or is something only a few possess. But this is far from the truth.
No one else can live our life; only we can. Each day we wake up, new experiences and choices arise. Conversations, relationships, and friendships contribute to our lives in different ways at different times. Being awake means actively creating our lives every day. Our choices, decisions, and efforts shape our tomorrows.
If we’re guilty of anything, it’s believing that we’re not creative and letting our lives drift on autopilot. But there are no autopilots in life. When we’re on autopilot, we aimlessly pass time without much to show for it.
Achievement takes time and effort. Remember that the song you’re currently listening to didn’t exist until someone chose to write and sing it.
Unleashing our creativity is as simple as making our next choice today. This is how my parents’ generation lived. Never did they discuss out-of-the-box thinking or aspiring to be creative. They understood the power of individual creativity, which was a daily part of their lives. They never desired to be creative, yet my father, without extensive formal education, was born in Greece, came to America as a teenager, and successfully started and owned his own business.
Each of us has the potential for the same. Keep your destination in mind and continue your life’s journey with purpose and faith, always tapping into the creative power within each of us.