The Genius in Our Flaws - An Essential Part of Our Personal Signature

What’s your signature? How does the energy you possess pattern itself? Good, bad, beautiful, ugly … all these qualities in one way or another arrange and re-arrange themselves, radiating who we are out into the world around us.

Of particular concern are those aspects of ourselves we refer to as flaws, but flaws can be a beautiful part of the signature of who we are. They are inevitable in any case, so perhaps it is wise to ask: what about our imperfections can we be grateful for?

If we can locate the genius in our flaws we will be in a much better position to manage their obvious dissonance and use them to more positive effect.

One of my own flaws revolves around a tendency toward sensitivity – I often don’t take criticism very well, for example. I can feel so overwhelmed by the negativity that I take the comments more personally than is generally intended, and can get into a bit of a funk over it.

On the other hand, when I look for the genius in my sensitivity I become aware that it has a very positive flip side – I am tuned in, alive and sensitive to all the sights, sounds and smells around me in a heightened sort of way that allows me to be especially appreciative of small things, like the scent of poplar trees in spring or the laughter of children, or the sad eyes of a bum on the street.

So, in the same way a talented musician composes a piece of music, playing with both harmony and dissonance, is the same way in which we can approach the act of living – as a creative opportunity that makes artful use of all our attributes in the process of shaping our presence, defining our signatures.

We each influence and shape the world around us. Doesn’t it make sense, then, to be more aware of the way our choices determine the quality of that presence, the pattern of our signatures?

Make No Mistake About It - Being is a Radical Act.

“Without any intent to influence or change what is before you, let your being soften the world.”  - Mark Nepo

This struck me as a particularly potent, not to mention radical, recommendation in a world which prizes and enshrines the ambition of relentless doing.

Point is, we do make an impact merely with our presence – it is as inevitable as breathing, so perhaps it is more a question of the quality of our presence that makes the difference.

What is quality of presence? I think of it as embracing your truth – it involves authenticity, personal integrity and the ancient dictum, know thyself. It will mean different things to different people too, of course, but in general it seems to me to run in this direction.

Living our truth requires moments of stillness, undisturbed moments where we have the chance to listen receptively to what resonates in our hearts, feeling what we feel, and thoughtfully sifting through that material aided by the intelligence of a reasonably peaceful mind.

It is a never-ending process, and oftentimes a difficult one too.

Letting be, choosing to lift any intent to influence or shape what is in front of us, is not for sissies. It’s a tall order and, in my opinion, a very desirable and much needed entity in a world that is falling to pieces for all the doing we do to it.

Make no mistake about it. Being is a radical act.

Rock your presence …

"Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy." - Milan Kundera

The blog-o-sphere, and the world in general, seem to place a great deal of emphasis on the merits of ambition. Just follow any given five bullet points, and you will be living the life of your dreams - you will be ecstatic, excited, high like you’ve never been before, forever …

Really?!

And some are relentlessly aggressive in this regard too, for implied is that if all you want is a simple, peaceful existence, there must be something wrong with you – don’t you want to write a book, make a DVD, and save the world? No, I don’t.

We each need to be responsible for ourselves, then the world takes care of itself.

Apparently, it isn’t considered normal, or healthy to want nothing more than the ease of a tranquil life populated by the few interests and handful of people that give one joy in living.

For one thing, no one is going to sell you their book, DVD or on-line course in miracles if you are already content with what you have. 

And isn’t that part of the point – to be content, to live passionately, but to realize that life isn’t out there, just on the other side of dream fulfillment, but inside us right now, just as we are.

It requires a fundamental acceptance and appreciation of what is. This is compassion in action. This is where life’s at.

I’m all for tapping into god-given potential, but let’s keep it cheap and fun! Let’s play around with the variables instead of turning it, masochistically, into some project that promises perpetually-down-the-road-around-the-next-bend fulfillment, at the expense of what we are blessed to enjoy that is right in front of us, NOW.

Feeling better now is often simply a matter of attitude adjustment as much as anything else. And attitude adjustments are free for the taking – tune in, take it easy, breathe.

I question whether life is best lived as an endless quest for the perfect execution of our dreams. What about questioning the dream, subjecting it to a little constructive critical scrutiny – what is it really all about? What is it I believe is going to fundamentally change? Why am I not happy now? Am I rejecting life as it fundamentally is (the nature of things)? Am I running away from something I need to face?

All I mean to say is that just because we attach the word dream to an idea or ideal, doesn’t mean it should automatically be sanctified.

Ambition can be a fine thing if it is a thoughtfully and intelligently informed one. But, in my opinion, Milan Kundera also makes a fair point – perhaps there is more sense in being lazy, in honouring the fallow spaces of our lives, and appreciating what is on a much deeper level than we are usually inclined.

Lack of fulfillment then is not necessarily a lack of ambition, but the neglect to cultivate sufficient depth and intimacy with ourselves and life at its most basic.

There is much to be appreciative of (and fulfilled by) if we but take the time to slow down a little, and allow life to reveal her secrets to us.

Ambition, at the end of the day, is over-rated. It often promises more than it delivers and, in the process, obscures native enjoyments for the prospect of future, more glorified ones.

How much sense does that make? None.