A rallying call as you steward something new and inspiring into the world
I think there is a Muse, and I feel a bit sorry for her. She has so many brilliant ideas that she would love to have exist in the world.
To have them exist, though, she needs willing, capable, determined and functional human collaborators – you and me. She is forever whispering in everyone’s ears, “Will you make this exist? You’d love the adventure. And there are people who would love this and would benefit.”
You are not the source of these ideas – you are their steward, their midwife. The ideas know what they are and are encoded with what they can become – they simply need you to skilfully nurture the innate potential into existence. Like a gardener, you can take the pressure off yourself, it will all emerge and come clear one step at a time.
Most of us aren’t that good at being willing human collaborators.
We are too busy to hear The Muse and her nudges of inspiration. We are self-absorbed, distracted by and immersed in our own dramas and busyness, our addictions of choice. And then we scratch our heads, convinced there isn’t much inspiration to be had. “The Muse only talks to special people,” we tell ourselves, “And I am obviously not one of those people.”
Then some of us do have the willingness to listen and the bandwidth to actually hear the nudges.
Then when we do hear the call of inspiration, and the invitation the Muse is offering us, in a heartbeat, we go into telling ourselves we aren’t up to the job. “Me, write a book? Start that business? Me, create that platform? Me, speak out that boldly and courageously? Me, write those songs and compose that music?” No way. I don’t have what it takes. Great ideas, but obviously for someone else.”
Our inner gremlins and shenanigans seem to know no bounds. The evil twins of our own fear and resistance, and the viciousness of our own inner critic, leave the execution of the idea dead in the water and assign them to the graveyard of dead dreams. And we feel the shame of chickening out even as that voice in our heart still speaks to us.
The Muse will move on to find some else.
And then sometimes some of us do clearly hear and heed the call, and against all the odds, we actually say yes to the adventure on offer.
Then, there are two routes we can take.
Path one is The Tortured Artist.
Many of us have been deeply conditioned to believe that life is and should be a struggle, we are guilty and need to punishment ourselves, for a multitude of reasons.
We make ourselves a slave of inspiration, we martyr ourselves, we suffer for our art. We may shine
bright for a while, and get to produce some great works. But the old deep patterns of self-hatred are still there, surfacing in the middle of the night.
And we could easily burn out, or destroy ourselves, often by the age 27, like so many amazing artists
have done. And the Muse again has to go find someone else to steward these beautiful ideas into the world
The second path is that of a Willing and Joyful Steward of ideas into the world.
I think this is the path the Muse wants us to take, but is often the one least followed. And that is the path of the inspired, creative and functional artist and leader.
Whether in the realm of creativity, business, science, politics and leadership, the Muse wants to bring new and life affirming ideas into the world, through you and me.
On this path, we are still leaning into our fears, our insecurities and facing the wounds we carry. But we heal them rather than let ourselves be distorted or destroyed by them.
And she wants us to enjoy the adventure, to grow, to be functional, happy and successful – to love ourselves and the creations we bring forth. She wants us to remember and shine, reflecting the glory in which we were created.
Please become that willing, capable, determined and functional collaborator, a happy steward of
wonderful ideas into the world. You do have what it takes, even if you don’t yet know it.
You’ll love the adventure and there are people who want and need what you are here to steward
into this beautiful world. Say yes to the adventure into how inspired, bold and courageous you can be when you need to, to discover something in you is greater than your fear. You can complete and deliver your projects and your cargo of gifts.
The Muse wants you to shape her ideas and bring them into the world, and she wants the ideas to
shape you into the man or woman you were born to be.
Its an invitation to be kind and compassionate, to heal old wounds, not create new ones, give yourself time to be as well as do. Fly high through kindness rather than harshness, to shrink your vicious inner critic and invest in being your own good friend and a friend to the world.
Your desire to create and steward your creations into the world is not a selfish act or a bid for attention. It is a gift to the world and the fulfilment of the reason you were created.
Please don’t rob us. Give us your unique contribution, what you promised to be and do.
You arrived here trailing clouds of glory, with a calling etched upon your heart. You are a blessing
and a gift. Please play your part in restoring this wonderful world to love
