The Creative Ones

The creative ones walk a lonely road only few dare to travel. It is not for the weak or faint of heart. Not everyone can survive the harsh climate of doubt and ridicule through which this passage runs. It is paved with the dust, cinder and bones of the shattered dreams of our ancestors. Over time, those broken, brittle remnants have solidified to a surface their descendants may not have otherwise been able to cross. The further along the road these dream seekers travel, they are met with challenges that stagger the mind. Like castaways in an unforgiving desert they are struck with the fear of demise and also suffer mirages of their rescue. This is the most critical time of their difficult journey. It is the midpoint which can easily become the breaking point. During this time, the creative traveler is usually faced with a difficult decision; surrender to their fears, thereby reversing course and admitting defeat, or take the chance of completing their pilgrimage against all odds.

Those who choose to continue eventually see faint glittering lights lining the hazy horizon. It fills them with a hope they aren't sure they can fully trust since they fear it may be just another illusion. However, it eventually becomes apparent that the lights are indeed very real, as is the inspiration they contain. Upon seeing the source of the illumination, the traveler weeps in awe. He realizes the lights were being held by people much like him--people who endured the long, demanding road of perseverance in order to achieve their goals. One of the many bearers explained that although they couldn't physically help him reach his destination, they shined their lights of hope to let him know he was on the right path.

Over time, what had started out as a faint flicker had grown into a shimmering beam as more people succeeded in their endeavors and joined the light bearers. It's not until the creative one sees the glow of his realized dream does the traveler discover that it is his turn to add to the beacon of inspiration.