People, knowingly or unknowing, have a personal motto or creed in which they live by. It helps us in defining our place in the world and the method behind our madness. It is that quote, bible verse or saying that moves you forward and helps to bring you back to yourself when you feel lost or disconnected. Early in my college life I stumbled upon a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet-
"...to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
This quote defined me throughout my college and young adult life. I worked hard to be true to myself, even in moments when I was still trying to find out who my 'true self' was. But after the transformation that took place on August 8, 2008, this quote, though still powerful, no longer felt like it defined me. I needed something different for this new life I had begun. I was different now. My outlook and purpose in life had changed. I needed a new anchor for this new journey.
Recently I was watching a show on PBS.org. The show is called 'Craft In America'. I was watching episode 13 which was an extremely moving piece simply entitled- Service. In this episode, the focus was on "craft and the military and the power of the handmade to inspire and heal". I strongly encourage you to watch the entire episode which can be found HERE.
The program featured ceramic artist Ehren Tool. In Ehren's segment, he said something that struck me to the core. I had to go back and hear him say it several more times, and each time it still struck me. It wasn't just a nice quote. It was a powerful affirmation of who I now was. I felt like I could call Oprah and tell her about it, because this indeed was my 'Ah!' moment. I had found my new creed for my life and all that I do within it-
"There is nothing I do, I think, that's going to change the world. But there's nothing in the world that releases me from my obligation to try". -Ehren Tool
Thank you Ehren Tool, for the work that you do and for the inspiring statement that you made.
"...to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
This quote defined me throughout my college and young adult life. I worked hard to be true to myself, even in moments when I was still trying to find out who my 'true self' was. But after the transformation that took place on August 8, 2008, this quote, though still powerful, no longer felt like it defined me. I needed something different for this new life I had begun. I was different now. My outlook and purpose in life had changed. I needed a new anchor for this new journey.
Recently I was watching a show on PBS.org. The show is called 'Craft In America'. I was watching episode 13 which was an extremely moving piece simply entitled- Service. In this episode, the focus was on "craft and the military and the power of the handmade to inspire and heal". I strongly encourage you to watch the entire episode which can be found HERE.
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| Ehren Tool (photo credit: the dirty canteen) |
The program featured ceramic artist Ehren Tool. In Ehren's segment, he said something that struck me to the core. I had to go back and hear him say it several more times, and each time it still struck me. It wasn't just a nice quote. It was a powerful affirmation of who I now was. I felt like I could call Oprah and tell her about it, because this indeed was my 'Ah!' moment. I had found my new creed for my life and all that I do within it-
"There is nothing I do, I think, that's going to change the world. But there's nothing in the world that releases me from my obligation to try". -Ehren Tool
Thank you Ehren Tool, for the work that you do and for the inspiring statement that you made.
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