Living Masterpiece

 

This week the world begins celebrating the life and legacy of Elder Madiba (Nelson) Mandela.  I cried like crazy the day I found out and could not understand why.  I did not know this man personally. I never met him in person. I have never been to South Africa, but I cried like a baby.

I tried to describe to a friend exactly how it was affecting me. I felt awkward and a bit silly about it all until finally that friend helped me to understand by saying, “He’s been with you, a part of your life, your whole life. He represents struggle, perseverance, and change.”

I allowed her words to sink in and soon began to remember my days in college during the protest. I also recalled watching Elder Mandela walk out of prison after more than 20 years as I stood holding/nursing my first born son in my arms. I even connected him to the struggles and injustice within my personal and family history.

Yes, she was right.  He had been a positive and powerful imprint with me my whole adult life.

What I love most about the life of Elder Mandela is the fact that to me he made his entire life his masterpiece inspiring and motivating those around him. There is no one speech or act or movement that pinpoints him. He devoted his entire life around what he believed in with discipline, focus, humor, and passion while facing horrific circumstances.

That has been my most creative project lately. I want my greatest and most notable work to be my entire life, not a book or a poem or a stage piece or YouTube moment.  I am working daily on being a living masterpiece for myself and for those that I love and touch on a daily basis.

Being a living masterpiece means that I am present in the moment and wide open to the infinite possibilities of creating and co-creating.  I am continually sculpting, molding, writing, dancing, singing, and painting from that infinite treasure chest called my soul…

As a living masterpiece, I take full responsibility to nourish and nurture my talent, intellect, and creativity. I even take care of my body as the treasure that it is.

Consciously living as a masterpiece, I positively inspire and motivate others by the energy that exudes from my very presence not just from the words that flow from my mouth or the passion in my poems. As a living masterpiece, I move the soul and transcend boundaries of language, culture, and history.

Some days are much better than others.  Some days I feel as though I have failed. Some days I feel too tired to bother.

On those days when I think that I am too tired, I am blessed to be reminded of those examples who never tired, who surrendered their lives as a living masterpiece that I might be blessed to be what I am and do all that I do right now.

To my elders and ancestors (known and unknown) who dared to live and learn and liberate despite the threats of death, I thank you.

To those bright lights of inspiration that burned so fiercely and so quickly and left us so much before being snuffed out, I thank you.

To every teacher and mentor and example who has laid hands on my life, my mind, my heart, I thank you…

And so today, I write, live, love, learn, create, and add another chapter to my living masterpiece. I pray that you are diligently working on your own as well.  Thanks for taking the time to share this TamTalk!!! with me. I hope to hear from you soon!

As always,

Be Joyful,

Be Creative,

Be Inspired,

Tamara

P.S.  In honor of Light Workers and Freedom Fighters around the world of every kind, I have a new poem on the site.  Enjoy and share!  Click here!

P.S. S. Thanks, Poet Sonia/Aminah Love, for being the inspiration for this newsletter!

 

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