the next time you feel empty...

If you punched me in the face,

you wouldn't beat me up as much

as I beat myself up

for not having the creativity flow out

of my body and into my fingertips

as it usually would.

All this blank space.
No words to write.
No ideas to ponder.

"Start over"
I tell myself.
"Find what you used to find,"
"Go where you want to go with it"
I say.

But I've been so damn concerned
about the edges,
the crust,
the beginnings and endings,
the past and the future
that I forgot where the hell I am.

But
I'm
Right
Here
In
The
Middle

Nothing reminded me more of that
than the match I lit
to light a candle.

This flame

that is always right here

within me.

It was the trigger

that reminded me to 

take inventory.

What's inside?

 Above all else,

I am an intricate design,

a big beautiful mess, actually,

of atoms that make up the

planet that I'm spinning on in the

middle

of empty space.

The middle.

The middle of consciousness.

Here I am.

I had to lose myself to find myself.

The very thing that was holding me back

is now helping me out.

If I am the light,

who would I be without the Dark?

And all of this space

in the 

middle

that I thought was empty,

is actually just

potential space to be

full.

And there's no better prescription

when you're feeling 

without edges, or middles

or knowing where the hell

you begin or end

than a jar of matches

to fuel your potential.

Match your flame to your blank space,

strike a nerve

and 

light up.

I dare you.

~L~

lesson from a boy

I have a fast car.

At least, that's what my 6-year-old son thinks.

In reality I drive an SUV not conducive to winning races.

There are always cars in front of us.

But no matter where we are on the road, 

what lane we're in, 

or how many other cars are around us, 

we're always in first place.

I look around and there's two cars ahead of me,

one on either side and some behind.

But clearly, in his mind, its just us.

"Yessss mom we're winning."

Little mind, big thoughts.

I want to be right there with you, buddy.

I'm putting my mind right up next to yours

where you can show me what it's like to 

think yourself to your destination.

You've arrived 

because your state of mind
is wherever you want it to be.

Love from a mom who cherishes these lessons from her son.

~ L ~