Greetings All ~
There have been times when I am so jazzed by an idea, an inspiration, that I just had to share it! That spark of creativity from the Soul warmed my whole mind and body and the ecstacy of it needed to be announced right away. Or so I thought.
What happens to a tiny seedling when it is exposed to the sun or wind too soon? It doesn't make it. Newly born animals need the protection of their parents until they can safely navigate the physical world— basic things like eyes opening or walking. And actually, a womb or an egg is the earliest part of the process. So it is with inspirations. Over-exposure or bad timing can suck the life out of those sweet, pure sparks.
These little pieces of divinity can be vulnerable. They need time to grow strong enough to withstand any blowback encountered once they're revealed. In gardening it's called "hardening"— incrementally exposing the little plants to the elements before taking them from the greenhouse and permanently planting them outside. Birds sit on hatchlings for a day or two after they've made their way out of the eggs. Swaddling a newborn is a common way to segue the babe from womb to larger world. The post-natal yogic practice is to keep the newborn indoors and no further than 9 feet from mama for its first 40 days.
In my ego's desire to appear smart (and thus more valuable), I've prematurely revealed ideas to those I was trying to impress. Instead of cherishing these baby ideas and taking the time to nurture them, I exposed them to elements for which they weren't ready. Often, they were demeaned or criticized into non-existence or simply stolen by someone else and used as their own.
Now we have technologies that provide many temptations for bad timing. The acceleration created by social media is certainly a factor. Information is streaming at us all the time AND there is the opportunity— if not a demand— to continually send out our own information. In our desire to keep up, things can hit daylight too soon. The sweet inner voice and the pure inner vision aren't allowed to mature; to become more clear, more loud or more profound than the opinions on the outside.
Keeping an inner sanctuary has been helping me. I have a room, and a time of day, and this body. These are the tools I can use to have the spaciousness of mind to recognize and nurture what is being newly birthed. It is a practice. It is a practice that also needs constant attention. It's a nursery. The seedlings still need water and space. The baby still needs love and sustenance.
Of course you have your confidantes, those helpers who value you and treasure the spark of your soul. These aren't deep dark secrets. They are simply the slivers of your light, to be cherished.
Use them with caution. Grow them with care.
All Good Things,
Vicky