'In Times of Terror, Wage Beauty'
The moment I saw this book I knew I had to have it. I had been following Mark Gonzales on Twitter for a few months at the time and I was looking forward to reading his contemplations and elaborations on how to love, heal, grow, communicate and inspire. So much has happened and so much will happen. Such is the nature of this worldly life.
Out of all the things that have happened so far this year it was the news of Elizabeth's suicide that shook me the most. I regret not taking her public confessions of suicide attempts on Facebook more seriously. I regret not being a better friend. Until this day, Facebook reminds me of our friendship and her sad demise. I think that is one of the reasons why I often associate the social networking site with negativity these days. As soon as I found out about what happened to Elizabeth I contacted her sister. She informed me that Elizabeth had registered herself as an organ donor and that she had saved the lives of four people. I thought it was inspiring, poignant and ironic all at the same time; a girl who ended her own life had saved the lives of others.
As mentioned in a previous post, I now feel a strong urge to create beauty in the world in memory of Elizabeth, a beautiful young soul who deserved so much more. Hence, I've decided to share this book with you because if you're a soul-searching, lover of beauty like me then I think you'd appreciate Gonzales' way with words.
Here are excerpts from Chapter 10:
Educate the human heart. Elevate the human mind. Grow the human soul. This will be our generation's idea of a multi-tasking model of learning.
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What better way is there to shift a paradigm than by speaking in ways that encourage dreams, laughter and imagination. For those acts of creativity are not luxury, short sighted or simplistic, they are essential.
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A society that does not value imagination is one that has ensured its future will be a close of its present traumas. This is why the global shift in the pitch of our generational frequency is so wondrous. If you are have not heard, we are embracing a discourse of dreams and dignity versus one solely of struggle.
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Yes, whenever possible a human being should read poetry. Yes, whenever possible, one should write poetry. Yet above all, we must all commit to living poetically, as frequent as humanly possible. This is how we introduce invention into existence.
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Be bold with your dreams in this moment, even as you are patient with one another. For how do we heal a society so addicted to disposable culture, we discard relationships due to convenience? Continue intentional relationships that abandon the frameworks of toxic interactions.
Intrigued? In love? Get the book from Wage Beauty. By the way, if you aren't following Mark Gonzales on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook you are missing out. His words are pure love.
Comments
Yes, whenever possible a human being should read poetry. Yes, whenever possible, one should write poetry. Yet above all, we must all commit to living poetically, as frequent as humanly possible. This is how we introduce invention into existence.
I used to write many poems (Malay) in the past but I kinda stop doing and expressing because I felt like I'm a freak by doing so. But I remember that I was way better emotionally with surrounded by my writings.