Stubborn Pencil Showdown - Daily Passion Activator - February 24, 2010

My pencil hung over my notebook, unmoving. Together, my pencil and I struggled. We stubbornly sat, facing each other, refusing to move first. It was such a simple thing as a poetry prompt which lead to such a sullen show down.

 

I never thought it would take me so long to write a list of ten things I believe and ten things I don’t believe.

 

It should be easy.

 

What do I believe?

What don’t I believe?

 

This is the sort of stuff that stirs the hearts of life coaches, thinkers and philosophers world wide. I stepped back from the question at least seven times.

 

Now that I think about it, at some point over the past couple of years I bored of the conversations around “I believe” versus “I know” and the like - ad infinitum the conversation goes. Words without experiences are meaningless to me. Don’t tell me what you know or what you believe unless you can back it up with experience I can see or touch or smell.

 

The boredom sang a tune of “Who cares, anyway?” until, finally, my pencil hit paydirt and I just started writing what I knew, writing what I believed, writing beyond the trite.

 

It was like the first “I believe” stuck in to the flow because it sounds rehearsed. It isn’t. It is what I believe. And because of that belief, I am diving into a deeper study so that I can decide where I want to go with that belief because I don’t know if where I am currently accepting that belief fits for me or my family anymore, knowing our beliefs alongside this first, number one belief.

 

With that, ten free flow beliefs which are to be born into at least one poem. That, I can do. That, I am doing.

 

1.     I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and Earth.

2.     I believe in the intrinsic good of humanity.

3.     I believe most people could benefit from raising consciousness.

4.     I believe most people long for soul connection, touching connection and being known, seen and heard.

5.     I believe the senses awaken creativity and the denial of such expression is one of the causes of depression.

6.     I believe in expressing emotions authentically without covering up or pretending or “acting as if”….

7.     I believe in the power of the pencil.

8.     I believe if people universally lived with purpose and passion, social issues would be greatly diminished.

9.     I believe clear communication without opinion laced judgment and “taking it personally” energy we could minimize wars and unrest.

10.                        I believe women are sexier and more beautiful as they age.

 

The first lines of the poem, now in the works:

 

We’re born naked and belonging in identical uniforms

Some with this and some with that otherwise

Remarkably universal and forever stamped

With a longing to return to some form

Of naked belonging….

 

= = =

 

I am also drumming up the experiential components to mix in with my beliefs and sit quietly, without the show down energy, to come to know what my beliefs are meaning to show me, to sing to me, to breathe into my being.

 

Until then, living the question and the poetry will be just right for me.

 

I believe.

 

I don’t believe.

 

What do you believe?

What don’t you believe?

 

© 2010 Julie Jordan Scott

Julie publishes her ezine, the Daily Passion Activator, which includes an Essay and a Poem every week day - inspiration delivered directly into your email box. Why not Subscribe today? It's free.

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Comments

[b]

I find it so interesting that we decide what we know and believe by seeking out what we don't believe and know. I am a very spiritual person but have never found the perfect niche...yet it does not bother me. Somehow I know it is okay to be ME and my friends don't question it.

Be well.

b

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I did click the follow on twitter.

http://torristravels.blogspot.com
http://www.retireinstyleblog.com

[Shannon Clattenburg]

I used to make a habit of writing a new "I Believe" list every 6 months or so. It seemed, a few years ago, that my life was changing so much that I needed to make a list to keep myself focused and true to my heart.

Your post has made me realize I have not done this in some time now (mostly because on the surface, it feels that my life is not as turbulent as it once was).

Thank you for reminding me to take time to focus on my ever-changing belief system. Now I remember why I made such an effort before.