Life won’t shine a spotlight on you just because everyone deserves a chance, so how do you find your voice and be heard?
—
*A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. The Modern Minstrel observes the world around him and shares it with us as lyrical story. This series was inspired by Luke Davis, whose eye for story and ear for lyrical prose are featured here.
—
A startle, a squeak, a scamper back to a hole in the skirting board, is this is an apt description of your voice? There is a part of you that says “Look at me, I’m valuable, worthwhile, I have something worth saying,” but deep down you know no one can hear you squeak. So at the back of the room, quiet as a mouse you sit, wondering when someone will shine the light on you and you will get your fifteen minutes. No one ever does and the brief glimpses of opportunities are snatched by the rats that continually jump in your way. Life doesn’t shine spot lights just because everyone deserves a chance, no one is guaranteed an audience and a lot of the time life just plain isn’t fair. Yet you were given one thing that no one can take away from you — your voice. And it’s powered by the mind, the heart and the spirit behind it.
People get angry all the time and yet they still have no voice.
|
A roar, a ruckus, a rampage, but when people turn to look there is no lion and the sound is ignored. Is this what happens when you get angry, when people don’t listen? People get angry all the time and yet they still have no voice. They use anger as a weapon and yes it sometimes scares people, but in the end there is no substance behind the noise. If you fear what others will say, if you fear what they think, you will hold that anger tight and lash out ineffectively with it. Anger isn’t a weapon though, it’s a shield that surrounds you and protects a treasure most golden — you. You don’t hold a shield close, shrinking who you are to fit inside. You hold it out front protecting all that you are and love so you can strike with something more effective. It’s a boundary people must not cross without your permission, it’s the place where you make your stand and say “This is me, in this place my word is law”. This is the domain of the heart, a heart more courageous than any lion. In this place when you roar, that heart has teeth.
A flash, a flap and then flight, but while people might turn, whatever caught their eye has flown away. Is this how people react when you speak, a brief spark of interest quickly dying? People are vain and fickle creatures and a story without a plot will not hold their attention. People put themselves on display all the time but like a cover without a book they are quickly found to be lacking. Having the heart of a lion means nothing if that is all there is. There goes a man, courageous is he. The end. A real story, a story worth telling, has passion, a creative element that rivets people where they stand. Like a peacock wooing its mate, passion is the tail feathers open wide, displayed for the world to see, mesmerizing in the dance behind the heart. This is the domain of the mind. A mind enthralled in its passions is a mind whose tail feathers shine brightly in the sun capturing the interest, enthusiasm and notice of all those around to listen.
A melody, a meter and some music, capturing peoples ears for a time but fading quietly away to be forgotten between one moment and the next. Do you find people may listen but once out of range you are forgotten like yesterday’s news? People have their own lives, their own momentum and like cutting water you may move them momentarily but once the knife has passed through all is as it was. Having the heart of a lion and the passion of a peacock will amount to naught if you cannot move them. You need to resonate with them, move them in a way that will change the direction of their lives, they need to see your purpose and have their very perceptions shaken. A mermaid’s siren would achieve nothing if the purpose behind it was not laden with lust, love and the zeal to achieve the fulfillment of loneliness. This is the domain of the spirit, a spirit whose very purpose resonates louder than any mermaid’s siren call ever could.
When a passionate man stands his ground and points, men will follow.
|
Where do you find your voice? If you squeak and it comes out as quiet as a mouse know that your voice comes from inside. Use your shield of anger. This is you, you are important; your thoughts matter and roar them into the night. When you roar pour your passion into your voice. Your thoughts matter because they are backed by belief, backed by experience, backed by the beautiful things you create.
As you display your passion direct it, make it resonate with all around. This is your direction, this is your goal, this is your life given purpose. People will join you because they can hear great things lie at the source of this voice. All the great scientists, engineers, business men, artists, writers, inventors, teachers, leaders and advocates have these qualities. They succeeded, they triumphed, and they were heard not because they are better than you, not because they are smarter, not because they are richer or more powerful. They were heard because when they spoke they stood their ground, showed their passion, and focused it with all of their purpose. When a passionate man stands his ground and points, men will follow, not because this man is superior, but because the mice around him lack the courage, passion and purpose to do anything other than follow. Their squeaks matter not when the lion does roar. Where do you find your voice? It lies not in the throat but in your heart, mind and spirit; these are the domains that breathe power into your words and bring them to life.
—
—
Photo: Flickr/Steve Slater
Great article, Luke. Often anger is not seen as spiritual, but, as you point out, like any emotion it is an expression of our life force and passions. As Sam Keen says, it is better to be outraged than enraged.