Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. - C.G. Jung
Here's an idea: Stand in front of the mirror and just stare at your face. Just stared. No zit picking, nose-hair clipping, make-up applying, eyebrow plucking. None of that. Just look at the mirror-image of yourself. Have you done it lately?
You know, of course, that the reflection you see of yourself is reversed. Hold up a magazine article in front of a mirror and it's hard to read. Likewise, the face looking back at you in the mirror is not what others see. It's backwards and may be hard to read as well. But give it a try. Just look. No analysis, critique or judgment. Just gaze for awhile at the albeit bass-ackward face of yourself.
It can be depressing. You may see flaws you never knew were there. Wrinkles, moles, blackheads and wild hairs which have somehow moved into the neighborhood without your knowledge or permission.
Check out the eyes. Look deeply into those windows of your soul and wonder how many incredible images have passed through those orbs. Waterfalls, printed pages, clouds, scenes of horror and delight, colors, stars, food, faces of loved ones. Gawk at your ears and stand in awe of the infinite plethora of music and words, roars and squeals, chirps and sirens, whispers and deals, screams of pain and murmurs of love those ears have received.
Gaze at that crazy head of yours in which is imbedded your even-crazier brain. Utterly unique and yet, so very similar to every other human brain on earth. Your brain which has processed every sight, smell, touch, taste, sound - every thought, meditation, every boring history class, erotic urge, yearning and sadness, curse and blessing that you have encountered or pondered.
Try it sometime. Try staring at your face. And, before you finish, with or without a straight face, look into that mirror and say, "My God, you're beautiful!" Just do it.
Last Sunday, Howard and his LadyLove, Joyell Smith, led the Jubilee! Celebrations together. 'Twas a first-time for both of them. First time for Howard in sharing the stage and first time for Joyell in leading Jubilee! And a good time was had by all. Howard's getting the itch to try some new things this year; and the Jubilee! experience this past week he considers an excellent start.