The Wisdom of Crayons: Embrace Your Color

"We could learn a lot from crayons...Some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, and some have weird names, but they all have to live in the same box."

~ author unknown ~

"The capacity for getting along with our neighbor depends to a large extent on the capacity for getting along with ourselves. The self-respecting individual will try to be as tolerant of his neighbor's shortcomings as he is of his own."

~ Eric Hoffer ~

"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."

~ Voltaire ~

If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag.

~ author unknown ~

[photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/laffy4k/404298099/]

1. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF IS NORMAL ADULT CRAYON BEHAVIOR

   Although we may fear the responsibility of taking responsibility, one fact remains. Other crayons can't be responsible for your color.
   

2. NOT ALL CRAYONS ARE GOING TO LIKE YOU

   Some colors clash, but they can still be in the same box, and be a part of the same picture.

3. YOU CAN'T MOVE FORWARD UNTIL YOU ACCEPT YOUR COLOR AS IS

   You may wish you were magenta or pastel blue. You may even try to make yourself one of those colors. The reality is, if you're orange, you're orange. You can only color orange.

4. WORRY DOES NOT KEEP YOU, OR YOUR LOVED CRAYONS, SAFE

   As much as we may dislike, or fear it, all crayons leave their color behind only when outside the safety of the box.

5. WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS WHAT YOU SEE

   If you hold depressing thoughts or beliefs, you will color the world gray. If you believe you must fight for everything, you may color everyone else red. But, every crayon wants to be seen as their own color.

1. CHAOTIC CRAYON MIND = CHAOTIC LIFE

   If you always want the crayons in the box to be in a different order, you can stir the box. However, that's not what crayons are for.

2. SUBSTITUTE CHALLENGE FOR BOX DRAMA

   Perhaps the biggest challenge in life is to be what you are. Mixing it up with the other crayons is not about being the central crayon. Its about expressing your color among all the others.

3. THINK ABOUT RELAXING INTO YOUR COLOR, BECOMING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR WRAPPER

   If your crayon wrapper says yellow, and you're trying to be green, you will not be comfortable in your own wrapper.

4. THE WORLD NEEDS A COLOR LIKE YOU

   The picture needs your color. In fact, it needs your specific shade of that color. No other crayon can color for you.

5. EMOTIONAL COLORING IS YOUR FRIEND

   You may feel a different color than you are. A brown crayon may feel blue (sad). A blue crayon may feel red (passionate). This feeling information is a universal crayon language. All crayons can feel the other colors in the same way.

1. MOST CRAYONS THINK ABOUT THEIR OWN COLOR MOST OF THE TIME

   Most apple green crayons are concerned with apple green. Navy crayons usually concentrate on navy. Chances are the violet crayon is not thinking about you, the sienna crayon.

2. TRUST THE COLOR OF YOUR FEELINGS

   If you feel a color, like a gray crayon feeling gold, you can trust that the feeling is information you can use. It could be you are experiencing the feeling of a color not your own, or that you are picking up on another crayon's feeling color.

3. DON'T TAKE COLORING SO SERIOUSLY

   "Crayon angels can fly because they color themselves lightly."

   ~ G. K. Chesterton ~

   "All colorful things except crayons know that the principal business of being a crayon is to enjoy it."

   ~ Samuel Butler ~

   "There are some things so serious crayons have to laugh at them."

   ~ Niels Bohr ~

   (my apologies to the authors)

4. YOU'RE ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN HAPPINESS

   You are not responsible for the happiness of another crayon. Your presence may bring a sense of happiness to a fellow crayon, but its not your job to remain in their presence so they can be happy.

5. ARE YOU A CRAYON-BOX POTATO?

   Are you willing to let your color shine, or to take on the task of filling in a blank space? Colors are for coloring.

1. GIVE YOUR COLOR A BREAK ALREADY

   One color does not a picture make. You don't have to fill the entire picture in with your crayon-self, or stay within the lines.

2. JUST BREATHE

   Being any shade of any color can be stressful. Take a deep breath of your color to get centered in your wrapper.

3. THE SEED NEVER SEES ITS OWN FLOWER (Zen saying)

   We often don't notice when we're sharing our color. We can't always point to how we've affected the other crayons, or the whole picture.

4. WE ARE ALL ORDINARY CRAYONS OF UNIQUE COLOR

   You are a unique shade of one slice of the rainbow, just like every-crayon else.

5. NOTHING LESSENS ANXIETY MORE THAN COLORING

   Crayon box isolation can escalate anxiety. Let your common sense, values, motivations, and desires move you.

1. HABITS ARE NOT YOUR COLOR-IDENTITY

   You may move vertically, horizontally, or in circles. You may break under the least pressure, or be a rare color that isn't used much (in your opinion). You are still a crayon that can learn new moves.

2. THE VICTIM MENTALITY KEEPS ANY COLOR A VICTIM

   Some crayons may be a victim of abuse, be broken, unwrapped, or ignored. Remember you're still a crayon with a shade of color to share. If you identify with the mistreatment you may miss the joy of coloring. The healthiest revenge is to know that joy.

3. WE'RE ALL CHANNELING OUR COLOR HISTORY

   If we are blue, our parents were either blues or some shade of yellow and green. That's called crayon genetics. You still have your own coloring to do.

4. LIVE THE NEXT 24 HOURS LIKE A CAT (of any color)

   Take a nap in the box when you're tired. Eat when you're color gets pale. Get crayon TLC when you want it. Ignore judgments of other colors. Play by scribbling. Relieve yourself in the crayon box. Tip the box over and walk away without guilt.

5. COLOR IT OR LOSE IT?

   Do crayons have choices? I think that's still up for debate. But, you can sit down in the box and wait to get chosen, or you can see a great picture you want to be a part of, and push yourself up from the box floor. (I guess that's what crayons call taking an opportunity.)

THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM . . .

Try This:

1. SIT BACK, TAKE A DEEP BREATH TO RELAX.

2. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PICTURE BELOW AT ALL TIMES.

3. RELAX YOUR EYES BY . . .

4. BECOMING AWARE OF WHAT'S IN YOUR PERIPHERAL VISION.

5. BE PATIENT AND WAIT FOR THE PICTURE TO CHANGE.

1. ALL THE WISDOM YOU NEED IS WITHIN YOU

   You have the wisdom of red because you are red, or the wisdom of black because you are black. No one else can teach you to be your shade of red or black, or whatever color you are.

2. EAT WELL, SLEEP WELL, COLOR A LOT

   You can't expect to be mentally and emotionally strong without taking care of the basics. Eat some green, stop watching those color-ful cartoons in bed, push yourself out of the box to get to work.

3. YOU WILL COLOR WHAT YOU FOCUS ON

   All crayons can imagine and focus on other colors, and on spaces they'd like to fill in. Focus on what's important to crayons, and to your color, to "do" the picture of health.

4. CHECK IT OUT

   If you think another crayon has insulted or ignored you, check it out! Ask them. This will eliminate a whole day of mental stewing. But remember, though all crayons know the language of feelings, not all speak it well. If you check something out, there's no guarantee the other crayon will know how to respond.

5. FEELING COLORS SAY WHAT THE INTELLECT CAN'T

   The color of feelings can communicate what logic can't. To share feelings effectively, don't scribble all over someone else's color, or blanch instead of letting your color-feeling out.

Drawing the traditional circular designs known as mandalas is a meditative practice, a healing exercise in times of crisis, and a pleasurable act of creativity. As a symbol of the Self, the mandala provides a connection to our innermost being.

Its all welcome: feedback, suggestions, ideas . . .