Being really good at something is not the same as being a genius. We all have potential greatness in us. There’s something inside that we might not even be aware of, and it just needs an opportunity to manifest itself through us. Maybe you have the potential to be a great glass blower or helicopter pilot. If you never try those things, you’ll never know. There will be a learning curve, so you will have unsuccessful attempts along the way. They’re not really unsuccessful. They are opportunities to learn. I was talking with a friend about Tao Te Ching, and she commented that Lao Tzu was really dialed in when he wrote that. Einstein must have really been dialed in when he thought of e=mc2, or Darwin when evolution by natural selection dawned on him.

Most of us don’t theorize revolutionary ideas like that, but someone does.

A few artists like Leonardo da Vinci would be considered geniuses, but I think we can all be dialed in.. That is personal and will mean something different to everyone. Because of this, we can enlighten and inspire each other.

“Look, it’s all full of colors!”

I’ve been inspired and empowered by many people, beginning with my family.

My mother taught me to be present and interested. She made me feel loved and important to her.

My father taught me to be interested in a vast array of topics. He would look up into the night sky and point out constellations. He always seemed to draw a spiritual lesson. He asked questions that made me think. We lived in a big old house. The door from the dining room to the hall was closed, and there was a marked difference in temperature from the warm dining room to the cold hall at the bottom of the stairway. If I were to put a candle in that open doorway, which direction would the flame lean?

One of us parked our car in the garage in winter, and another parked outside. Everything else being equal, who would get better gas mileage, and why?

What kind of animal lives in a dog house?

He is interested in aviation, language and accents, travel, history, music, astronomy, anatomy and physiology, and shared facts and life lessons with us whenever they came to his mind.

My brother is generous with his interests. I’ve heard it said that an interesting person is one who is interested in others. My brother joined me in my pursuit of our family tree. He pays attention to detail in a way that doesn’t come naturally to me. I seek out people to talk to which may not always be comfortable for him.

He took up a challenge from one of my blog posts and drew the same thing over and over, and shared the results with me.

He validated me at a time when I felt lost and defensive.

Each of my brothers is brilliant and creative, and each one has unique areas of interest and knowledge. Each of them is an inspiration to me.

Shape inspired by an ancient Egyptian kohl pot

I’m trying to eradicate the old way of thinking. There are things ingrained in me that are not kind, and yet it’s hard to let go of them. The messages were reinforced throughout my early life. Humility is one of those double edged swords.

It is not boastful or arrogant to recognize your gift and embrace it. It is not virtuous or helpful to be self deprecating.

If you can find your niche and then cultivate your gifts, you can grow and bloom in your own skin. You can do some good for yourself and for others.

A humble person with an extraordinary talent can be generous with their knowledge. They can excel without competition, and mentor others in their field of expertise.

The way you learn things at first can become cemented into your foundation. It is then difficult to remove. Sometimes, the rains and winds of life erode the mortar and it crumbles very easily. Other times, a sledgehammer will clear the way. You can change. You can grow.

My first college drawing instructor taught us his version of gesture drawing, and that is how I made sketches for years after. I remember what he taught me, though I no longer sketch that way. There is nothing wrong with it, I just do it differently now.

Sometimes scientific discoveries reveal truths that change our thinking. Some people may reject the facts because they are comfortable with the old school of thought… because they were taught it first. Maybe they derive benefits from the outdated information, and the facts pose a threat.

My mind is malleable. I’ve dragged a lot of old files to the trash, and I empty it regularly.

I accommodate those beliefs that make the most sense to me. I can only believe what I find believable. I can enjoy fiction as long as it is presented as fiction.

It is the eve of a new calendar year. Let’s be kind to ourselves and to each other. Let’s be generous with our gifts. Many people knocked us down in their attempt to feel superior, and I’m afraid we’ve believed a lot of those messages. Let’s brandish a jackhammer and write new messages in the wet cement of 2021. I am creative. I have a gift. I have a story that is worth telling.

I made a jar out of clay, and then over about three days, I made a lid for it. It fit so perfectly, and was integrated into the lines of the jar. Today I broke it. I was so disappointed! I tried to tweak it, even though I thought it looked perfect.

I didn’t even get a picture of it.

This happens. Things break. I don’t leave well enough alone. I disappoint myself. I try again. The cat stole my sponge again.

That’s a fitting end for this year, I guess.

I’m making a new lid, and we’re about to start a new year.

I’m not looking for some magical new beginning. We continue where we left off, and try to do our best. It’s hard to feel hopeful when so much of the news is bad. I try to maintain hope right here, and manifest positive change within my own reach. I believe this is possible.

I’ve been fortunate to have full time work during this global pandemic. I have more interests than I have time to devote to them, and a mind that is open to learning new things. Like pottery. Like the Finnish language. Like my family tree.

I find my own thoughts to be entertaining. As I generally do in winter, I make plans for the places we will visit and things we will do in the spring and summer.