Releasing The Narcissus Within - Nurture Your Inner Muse

Echo and Narcissus

Many of you already know the story of Echo and Narcissus. The famous Irish playwright, poet and  author, Oscar Wilde, gives us a different ending to this story. In Wilde's version when Narcissus died, the Oreads, who were goddesses of the woods, came and saw that the waters of the pool had changed into salt tears.

"Why are you crying? asked the Oreads.

I’m weeping for Narcissus.

We do not wonder that you should mourn for Narcissus in this way, they said. After all, we could only run after him through the forest, but you could gaze on his beauty from close to.

But was Narcissus beautiful? asked the pool.

Who better than you to know? the Oreads replied, somewhat taken aback. It was, after all, on your banks that he would lie each day.

The pool was still for a moment. Then it said:

I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that he was beautiful. I weep for him because whenever he lay on my banks and looked into my waters, I could see my own beauty reflected in his eyes."

I rather like this perspective.  Narcissus was looking only at himself which caused his destruction. In Wilde's version of this myth I believe the pool was looking outward. The pool was willing to go beyond its own boundaries, to dream, to gaze outward, to share itself with Narcissus, and the pool's sharing was rewarded with beauty and a full sense of self-worth being reflected back in to itself.   When we share ourselves openly and honestly with others our lives are so much more rewarding and full.  This, I believe is very much like the creative process.  When we focus too much on ourselves and worry what others will think of us, we stifle our creativity.  We hold it inside.  We don't let it blossom out and share it with the world.  It is our fear of failure and rejection that keeps us focused on ourselves.  We play it safe.

I discovered this very interesting and funny video produced by TED - Ideas Worth Spreading.  Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Love, Pray, discusses ancient history and the creative process. She encourages us to release our fears and follow our dreams, to step out and do the best that we can.  When we gaze out to the world and are open to exploring new things, inspiration will be reflected back to us.   Open the door to sharing your vision...be creative.  That's what we are called to do.   Sometimes we hit it big. Sometimes we miss. That's okay. The most important thing is to try.  
This video is lengthy but well worth watching.  It inspired me.  I hope it inspires you too!
(Please turn off the music playlist to watch.)

 
I believe we should take Ms. Gilbert's advice.  Don't let our inner narcissus stop us from trying new things.  Listen to the inner muse.  We want the world to believe that everything we touch turns to gold.  We are magnificent.  What if we produce something that is just so-so?  Our inner narcissus says, "Don't even try.  They will find out you are not a genius.  You are plodding along just like the rest of them."    So we take our fears and we stuff our true desires out of fear of the unknown.  We talk ourselves down.   I'm not good enough.  What if I write this story and it's not fabulous?  The world will know I'm not the greatest writer.  If I show my true self they will see I am not the most beautiful person on the planet."

Try anyway.  We don't have to be the greatest in the world, we just have to be real, be true to ourselves, just be.   By being true to ourselves we WILL  live our very best life.  

TED says of this inspiring woman, "Elizabeth Gilbert faced down a ­pre-midlife crisis by doing what we all secretly dream of – running off for a year. Her travels through Italy, India and Indonesia resulted in the mega bestselling and deeply beloved memoir Eat, Pray, Love, about her process of finding herself by leaving home."

Be vulnerable,  risk fearlessly traversing the unknown,  risk failure, risk success, only then will we be able  to discover our truest and best self.  Even in our failures we discover who we are, what we are capable of, and we understand even more clearly what we truly desire.   Step out of fear and in to the creative process.  Nurture your inner Muse!

“That which causes us trials shall yield us triumph: and that which make our hearts ache shall fill us with gladness. The only true happiness is to learn, to advance, and to improve: which could not happen unless we had commence with error, ignorance, and imperfection. We must pass through the darkness, to reach the light.”

Albert Pike, American lawyer, journalist and soldier 1809-1891

Carpe Diem Everyone! 

Love,

Kelly