(from the book "Lincoln's Sword"), "In the four years that Lincoln would be president, the American public would gradually discover, much to its collective astonishment, that this unprepossessing politician had remarkable abilities as a writer. It's a constant puzzle to many men of letters how a person growing up without the advantage of schools and books could have acquired the art which enabled him to write The Gettysburg Address and The Second Inaugural." Also he wrote, as this book points out memos, speeches and other communications and correspondance that qulifies as some of the most important literature in America history.
I ask how was it possible for the deaf and mute Helen Keller to become world famous for her eloquent ideas and her leadership in social causes and her unprecedented college graduation near the top of her class and author of important books and other writings...
How was it possible for an uneducated Edison to invent and patent and commercialize hundreds of inventions. I could list dozens of other examples that confound our ordinary and conventional expectations of people.
I say you can ask for the moon and get it.
That anything is possible. You can create alot from a little and even something from nothing.
These questions and the following quotes are the most important and inspiring in my quest to bring a true understanding of what humans and humanity can accomplish:
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost."
--Martha Graham
US choreographer & dancer (1894 - 1991)
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the
world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all
meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make
manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just
in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own
light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same. As we are liberated from
our own fear, our presence automatically liberates
others." --A Return To Love, Williamson
Arthur C. Clarke formulated the following three "laws"
of prediction:
1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states
that something is possible, he is almost certainly
right. When he states that something is impossible,
he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the
possible is to venture a little way past them into the
impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic.
"Doing easily what others find difficult is talent; doing
what is impossible for talent is genius."
--Henri Frederic Amiel
"Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think
it impossible for anyone to accomplish."
--Marcus Aurelius
"Impossible is a word to be found only in the
dictionary of fools."
--Napoleon Bonaparte
"Compared to what we ought to be, we are
only half awake. We are making use of only
a small part of our mental and physical resources."
--William James
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a
human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes."
--William James
"Life is a daring adventure or nothing" --Helen Keller
My daughter Elisabeth has been in a spiritual retreat for several years. In her last e-mail message she said she didn't know I went to art school years ago. This was my reply:
When we look at people we tend to see only one, two or at most three contributions they may have to offer the world. My exploration of humans over the past 40 years has opened me to well over a dozen, maybe dozens, some patently obvious or of varying degrees of latent talents or inborn gifts to contribute to the world. For you, Dan (my son) and me it's writing, for you, Dan and me it's art, for you and me it's singing and acting, for you and Dan it's poetry. I also noticed that you as a teen were a natural dancer, as was my mom and me. You may have forgotten that I've started over a dozen businesses including a radio show and a newspaper, expressing talents for marketing, organization and expression. I am a natural coach and have essentially been doing that for at least as long as you've been around (28 years), though Dan can't see how that could be...he doesn't perceive that talent in me, because he doesn't perceive my life working now. With the theater I'm working to buy and develop, I'll get to develop my talent for producing shows, and hosting events, and sharing my love for films and producing seminars and conferences and conventions. I produced a weekend of ten speaker in February, 1990.
You're inquiry is only beginning to explore the dozens of gifts I am and will be developing.
I wrote a book, as you know and I've sold many copies over the past decade, just exposing it one at a time to thousands of individuals. These have all come from many interests, passions and inborn gifts. Most of us barely discover them because we're not encouraged to dig deeply.