Making Your Mark

What are you doing?  It’s a simple question really and one most people answer by telling what they are doing at the moment, so let me ask it another way..

 Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel and left us sculptures that are with us still.  Leonardo DaVinci was a great inventor, wild dreamer, and painter of many works of art that are both held in private collections and shared with the world in museums.  The Wright Brothers taught us to see, then live their dream of flight.  Benjamin Franklin made the world interesting and easier with electricity, while Thomas Edison turned the lights on for us.

 So, what are you doing to contribute and leave your mark on the world?  I think we all think about it, sometimes early in the morning when we contemplate the day, or late at night when we wonder if what we do matters at all.  The answer is, yes, it all matters.  You writing a thank you note, or sending that encouraging card to a friend who’s been a bit down really does matter.   We each choose daily whether we will contribute and help society or merely exist.

 Yet, there is more isn’t there?  Don’t we all dream at some point of leaving our mark, wonder how we will be remembered, or leave something behind that will last for centuries? 

 You don’t have to be a sculptor, or a master artist, though it doesn’t hurt.  There are so many ways to create a legacy, and it can be as small or as grand a scheme as your imagination will allow.  There are those of us who write and long to write things that can make you feel, laugh, cry, become scared or joyful.  There are artists who create waves of emotion with their work.  There are photographers that can make us see what they see and contemplate the world from a perspective we might not usually take.

 Some people put their whole lives and creativity into working with children and watch them bloom and grow into thriving adults.  Still others work in the medical community and their creativity leads to new cures or better ways of doing things. 

 Then there are the architects and engineers who design buildings, bridges, and monuments for the world to enjoy.  I also love the old houses that have been around for centuries.  Let’s not forget the wonderful works of Brahms, Beethoven and Bach among many others.

 Whatever your gift, your talent, the world needs you, we need you.  You have a voice and a perspective uniquely your own.  Don’t be afraid to share your gifts with the world, or even just your family.  It’s your choice, but life truly is a gift, take the time to enjoy it, learn and share, it is what we were meant to do.

 Cherry Coley ©