The Gulp Moment

It is amazing what a delicate line can do. I created this piece to demonstrate to my class the power of highlighting letters, AND how to properly highlight. When I wrote the word success and the second half of each line in the quote, the text was so close in color to the background that the words were almost invisible. The class gathered around and I showed them the piece before I highlighted in white and blue ink. One woman noted that she couldn’t even see the words ‘what you do‘. I started highlighting and stopped to show them the difference with each line…there were audible gasps in the transformation. It was a very dramatic way to help them see the power of drawing a line. Here is the text of this great quote from Maya Angelou:

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. 
-Maya Angelou 2014

I must admit, drawing those lines on this piece, in front of the class, is what I call a “gulp moment”. In my head I am telling myself, “Please don’t screw this up.” and in my hand I am praying to be able to do it just right. Once those lines are drawn I am committed, people are watching, and I could ruin the whole piece. GULP!!!! You know what I mean, that moment when everything can change for the better or you could ruin it all…THAT is the moment where your life changes. Have enough gulp moments and you know you are on your way towards your goals.

Let me ask you something. Where in your life might your intentions, ideas, and even your passions be a bit clearer if you drew a single line? How might that help you and those in your world better understand things by creating boundaries or emphasizing your decisions? Relationships are very fragile and robust things. One day they are sailing along, and the next day they are skidding on thin ice. When the lines from one part of your life smack into the clear lines of another area of your life, WHOOPS! there goes the clarity, the peace, and feelings get hurt. Getting all that straight again is a gulp moment.

For life to run smoothly, for us to live with and within boundaries AND for people to treat us with respect, someone has to draw a line to make things clear. When someone crosses those lines, you must be prepared to speak, act and hold them accountable. Especially when what they first said or wrote is blurry and needs highlighting for clarification. Just like the blue and white ink in this piece, the courage to draw a line can bring clarity to any situation. And once you triumph over your first gulp moment, you have more courage to tackle that next gulp moment. Suddenly it’s like washing your hair – rinse and repeat! When you keep going, clarity and understanding abound!

Never be afraid to draw that line. Yeppers, you might screw it up, it happens. Or, you might just earn someone’s respect and respect yourself that much more. Dare to push through your own gulp moments and draw that line! That one line can make all the difference.