Leontyne Price

"I am here and you will know that I am the best and you will hear me."

— Leontyne Price

American Soprano

1927 -

Self-confidence is a key trait of creative leaders.  We need to believe in ourselves and the work we do.  We need to be confident that we will be successful.  But we also need to be humble.  Self-confidence is a great characteristic to have, but if one is not careful the self-confidence can turn into arrogance.  Self-confidence coupled with humility makes for a better leader.  Many times if one digs deep enough one finds that the arrogant person actually lacks self-confidence.  He covers up the lack of confidence by acting tough.  If one is truly self-confident in one's ability and skills, one has no need to be arrogant.  One is instead humbled by the gift he has been given.

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Bertolt Brecht

"It's alright to hesitate if you then go ahead."

— Bertolt Brecht

German Poet, Playwright

1898 - 1956

Making decisions is often difficult.  We hesitate, not sure if we are making the right decision.  Sometimes we need to trust ourselves and move ahead.  It is normal to second guess one's self — to question if one is doing the right thing.  But ultimately, one must stand up and be counted.  What decisions are you facing that you are uncertain about?  What decisions are you regretting having made?  What does your heart say?  Don't let your analytical mind win.  Trust your heart.

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Harley King

"May you wait patiently for your success with the belief and confidence that it will come."

— Harley King

American Speaker/Poet

1949 -

Many of us are impatient.  We can't wait.  We are in a hurry.  Yet success has its own timetable.  You can't hurry it.  So develop patience and have faith that when the time is right you will receive your moment in the sun.  Enjoy the moment.  Enjoy the present.  Don't worry about tomorrow.

Here are three of my short poems written in 2011.

What color

are your dreams,

my friend?

Bright blue?

Midnight red?

A thin pink?

I gather my fears in my hands.

###

I've grown old

with doubt,

a finger of time

between clouds

of darkness.

I open my mouth

and swallow the wind.

###

I am

the moon,

a faded light,

a distant dream.

Hold me

in your arms

that I may be free.

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J. K. Rowling

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

— J. K. Rowling

British Novelist

1965 - 

The choices we make help determine the person we become and what we accomplish.  Did you choose to write today or to watch TV?  Did you choose to help a stranger or did you buy something for yourself?  We make choices every minute of every day.  Did you choose to brush your teeth or comb your hair?  And these decisions impact our lives.  Some decisions have an impact immediately and others take years to materialize.  When I was in my 20's and 30's I played volleyball.  I was known for diving without knee pads on asphalt and hardwood floors to save a ball.  I felt very little pain at the time.  Now 30 years later those dives have come back to haunt my knees and me.  What choices are you making to day that will impact you tomorrow.  Again, I ask:  did you write or paint today?  Or did you go to a movie?  The choices we make tell us who we are, not whom we want to be.

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Elizabeth Bibesco

"It is never any good dwelling on goodbyes.  It is not the being together that it prolongs, it is the parting."

— Elizabeth Bibesco

English Writer

1897 - 1945

Saying goodbye is difficult for some people.  They linger, wanting to stay longer in the company of their friends or family.  Saying hello is difficult for other people.  They are shy and afraid to meet new people.  Are there people in your life to whom you have difficulty saying goodbye?  

I have said goodbye to thousands of people over the years.  I say goodbye to the people who attend my seminars.  We know each other for two or three days.  We are almost like ships passing in the night.  We come together as strangers, share a few stories, laughs and tears before parting often never to see each other again.  So I have learned to say goodbye and to keep moving.

I have often said goodbye to my family because I have traveled so much.  It is much harder to separate from those you love than strangers you meet in the classroom, on an airplane or in a restaurant.  Saying hello to family is easier than saying goodbye.

Saying hello to strangers can be very difficult for me.  I was very shy growing up and still am when I am in a room of strangers.  If I am speaking, I have no problems approaching people who come into my  classroom and greeting them.  On an airplane, I have been known to strike up very enlightening conversations.  But if I attend a seminar as a participant, I usually don't approach the strangers.

Creative leaders must learn to say hello and goodbye if they are to be successful marketing their art.  And in today's world we have to market our products.  We have to attend book signings, art fairs, radio talk shows and if we are lucky TV talk shows.  We have to be good at saying hello and goodbye.

Marvin Gaye, the singer, had a difficult time performing in public.  He often cancelled his concerts because of his anxiety and fear of people.  He had difficulty saying hello.  How about you?  Do you meet people easily or are you filled with fear?

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Diego Rivera

Woman Grinding Maize
(1924)

"Looking back on my work today, I think the best I have done grew out of things deeply felt, the worst from a pride in mere talent."

— Diego Rivera

Mexican Artist

1886 - 1957

The old saying is that pride goeth before a fall.  And there is some truth to that statement.  There are two sides to pride — bad pride and good pride.  If we are vain and arrogant, pride is a negative and should be cast out of our lives.  But I believe there is a good side to pride.  You need to have pride in yourself and what you do.  A better word might be self-confidence, but I think pride works as well.  

But Rivera is right to say that art that is not based in feeling and only in technique and skill will never be as powerful or as great as art that is inspired by emotion.  When you deeply feel about what you are painting or writing, you will do a much better job.  If you have no feeling for your subject, you are simply going through the motions.  You are not connected to the subject so it doesn't matter  what you paint.  Technique is the only thing of importance to you.

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Paint what you are connected to.  Write about what matters to you, not what you think the publishers want.  Sing songs that touch your heart.  Have pride in the work you do.  Believe that what you do is important.

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Roger Crawford

"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional."

— Roger Crawford

American Speaker, Author

1960 - 

We all face challenges throughout life — both personal and professional.  Some are physical challenges and others are emotional.  How we handle these challenges helps determine our character.  Some people throw in the towel when the going gets tough and other pick themselves off the ground and keep going.  What do you do when you face challenges.  Do you quit and give up or do you keep going.  

One of the things I've learned about dealing with obstacles is that you don't have to confront them head on.  You can go around them.  Shift into reverse and find another road to take you where you want to go.  Challenges can teach us a lot about ourselves.  Just don't let them overwhelm you.  The sun will rise again tomorrow.  Nothing lasts forever.

Take a few minutes and listen to Roger Crawford and be inspired.

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Harley King

Self-Portrait

Oil Pastels

(2011)

"Sometimes we fight who we are, struggling against ourselves and our natures.  But we must learn to accept who we are and appreciate who we become.  We must love ourselves for what and who we are, and believe in our talents."

— Harley King

American Poet, Speaker

1949 - 

I have struggled much of my life to find myself and my place in this world.  I have never been satisfied, always wanting to do more, to accomplish more.  I wanted to be a famous writer.  But instead, my success came through my speaking.  While I have published 14 books, my readership is small and my paycheck is even smaller.  Yet, somewhere a long the way I learned to accept who I am and to trust that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.  I touch people's lives with my words.  

I wrote the words above when I turned fifty.  Today I turn 62 and I feel that I have learned not to struggle against myself, and have accepted who I am as well as my strengths and limitations.  I have learned to hug myself and to love who I am.

Have you learned to love yourself and to believe in your talents?  Do you appreciate the life you live and accept your strengths and weaknesses?  None of us are perfect and the lives we lead are not perfect, but we are leading the life we have chosen through our thoughts and actions.  




Here is a link to my reading of my poem, Indecision, inspired by the Renoir painting, Umbrellas.  Click on Indecision and it will take you to a page on my website.

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