It’s More Valuable Than Silver or Gold

For this week in Scribbled Lives we were asked to illuminate something. Illuminating is the process of adding emphasis (traditionally with gold or silver or metallic elements) from within from outside or with light or darkness. I thought about Gustov Klimt who was a master at utilizing illuminating in his work. Think of The Woman in Gold. I then searched for quotes about silver and gold and found these words from Bob Marley…

Don’t gain the world and lose your soul.
WISDOM is better than silver or gold.

-Bob Marley 1981

I had fun creating this weirdly Kimlt-ish background. The metallic inks did not photograph well – bummer! Adding a quote from Bob Marley seemed a bit strange, yet when I thought about it both artists were rebels in their time and preferred medium. They both chose to illuminate their ideas and thoughts by traveling a different path than those around them. They are remembered for their passion, proliferate works and for opening people’s eyes to another way of seeing the world.

Wouldn’t it be great if we all could illuminate our lives and the lives of the people around us by being our true selves? Not worrying about what people think, about if we will be successful, or if our idea with be worth the effort? What would the world look like if we lived our lives as our true selves AND stopped worrying about what other people think?

Let me encourage you to spend your time today illuminating your own ideas and unique persecutive to inspire and challenge others. Be bold in that meeting. Speak up respectfully when you think differently than everyone else. Give your work the time it deserves to become the gift it can be to the world. Staying quiet, keeping your thoughts to yourself, and worst of all keeping your light under a bushel does no one any good, particularly you. Your ideas and thoughts may be just what everyone needs to hear in order for that project to be successful. You will never know unless you speak up, create and share your thoughts and ideas with the world. Dare to believe that what you have to give is more valuable than silver or gold!