It is finally starting to feel like fall here, which is good considering it is almost October. As we roll into autumn with its shorter days and dark, sometimes dreary nights, it is good to remember this quote by Emerson:

It reminds me to not be cynical, which is an oh-so-easy trap to fall into these days. No one likes a cynic and cynicism has no place in living life fully or being able to create new art. It is tempting to be cynical especially as we grow older, but I think that’s why we need to remind ourselves that we have a choice not to be cynical. We have the power to not ruin other people’s days with caustic comments that “chill and dishearten.”

I am especially reminded of the need to be open to new experiences and life as it comes when I start teaching a new group of freshmen, which I do almost every fall. Most are bright-eyed and start the term with wonder tinged with some trepidation. But there’s always one or two who wear their cynicism on their sleeves as if it were a good thing, a mark of maturity. They declare that they already know everything there is to know about life. I nod and carry on with class. But, if I’m very lucky, by the end of the term I’ve been able to help them find a crack in their cynicism so they have the possibility of being open to learning and changing and growing. It doesn’t always work, but it keeps me from being cynical about teaching.

So all I’m saying is don’t be cynical. Be open to the wonder that is inherent in life and use that to motivate you, inspire you, and move you to create whatever beauty you were put on this earth to make. I hope you have a lovely weekend. 🙂